Shannon Helms |
SHARING HER STORIES
Many of my friends are aware that in 2010 my daughter,
Shannon Leigh Helms, had a medical saga resulting in a paralyzed leg and foot.
Some DKG members met her at various regional and international events as she has attended these with me from a young age. Many members met her in New York City when I was installed as international DKG president.
The last seven to eight years have been filled with her heroic efforts to
address the paralysis as well as trying to overcome other obstacles in her
path. Some of those obstacles have been work related as well as the continuing
medical problems.
This blog is to thank my DKG friends again for your thoughts and prayers for
both of us as we were going through the initial saga. It is also to ask you to
pray for her and keep her in your thoughts as she begins her journey of sharing
her stories.
Shannon's phenomenal determination, persistence, courage, and a relentless
compelling desire to inspire others serve as the impetus for her to begin to
write her first book, and also to share her story in person. She has
accomplished what is considered medically impossible with regard to the use of
her leg and foot. She is also in the process of addressing other work related
obstacles that young women face in the workplace.
My daughter is one
of the strongest young women I know and having lived through this as her mother
I know without a doubt that I would not have been able to do what she has done
and still be inspired or motivated to help others. Shannon feels a calling to
reach out to others with disabilities and who may be facing similar
work related obstacles. Her desire is to motivate them to realize that
nothing is impossible. She has my support in her endeavors and I have even
jokingly said I would co-author with her. She doesn’t need me, of course and
our perspectives would be vastly different.
I am returning to
blogging after a long hiatus as I, too, have stories to share and in many ways
blogging is therapeutic for me. I will always be grateful for your
support and appreciate you keeping my daughter, Shannon, in your prayers and
thoughts as she takes the initial steps forward to share her stories.