This is my cousin. She can’t walk because she had a stroke in Hershey Park. She goes to a private school because she has disabilities. She can barely talk, and she can’t walk.
What’s her name?
Ellie
Where was this picture taken?
At Turtleback Zoo.
How old is she?
She’s four.
How do you communicate with her and how does she communicate with you?
Mostly through sign language. She can speak a little bit of English but it’s mostly Spanish. It’s easy for me to understand but sometimes she doesn’t say it the correct way, so that makes it hard.
Were you with her when she had the stroke?
Yes. She was three. We were in the line to go on one of the rides at Hershey Park and she stopped breathing. She stopped moving. Everything in her body stopped moving. We had to drive her to the emergency room. It was really scary because I was sitting right next to her and her eyes wouldn’t move. It was the scariest experience I have had.
Who helped you handle the fear you felt?
Her dad, mostly, because before that she had migraines, she didn’t breathe correctly. Everyone thought it might happen but they didn’t know when or where. So they were very cautious about it.
When you got to the emergency room, did they give any information?
They thought it was a heart attack at first. But my father called early, they made sure they would wheel her away very fast to give her help.
What advice do you have for family members of people who have medical problems or disabilities?
Don’t be scared because it’s mostly going to be okay. When my grandmother got diagnosed with cancer, they found what it is, they did it quickly, and then it was all over. She was only two when it happened to her, and she remembers it but she doesn’t really, and she won’t speak about it.
Where do you get your strength from?
From her. She always has that attitude where she’s not going to stop. She knows what happened to her but she’s not going to stop trying.
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