More about Monica Smith
My name is Monica Mazique Smith. I am 30 years old and I am
a person who is physically handicapped and uses a power wheelchair. I am writing this, because I would like to share
my story with the rest of the world.
I was born on May 14, 1972 on Mother’s Day. I am the youngest of five children. My mother was about to go out to
Mother’s Day dinner with the family, when she suddenly went into labor. After she
arrived at the hospital, she was having
severe pain, so she told the doctor that she was about to deliver. The doctor at that time was a young resident doctor,
who told her that she had plenty of time before she would deliver. The doctor left and got on the elevator to assist a
young girl who was also in labor. Well, it turned out that my mother was ready to deliver. I started coming out.
Everyone started calling for the doctor, but no one could find him. As I was coming out, I turned around inside my
mother. The nurse ended up having to deliver me, but she didn’t know how to turn me around the correct way so I ended
up coming out “butt” first. I was born breech birth. I had to be rushed into an incubator, because I could not breathe on
my own. I had to stay in the hospital for several months until I was able to breathe on my own. When I was ready to
go home, the hospital tried to convince my mother to place me in a home for the handicapped. She told everyone ”No!”,
including my father. She told them that she was taking her baby home with her. The doctors said that I was going to be
nothing but a ”living vegetable.”
 After I went home with my mother and father, my mother never stopped working with me. She would place me in front of the
television set, even though my eyes would not motivate. She would put toys in my hands, even though I did not have enough
muscle strength to hold them. As a baby, I didn’t have enough muscle strength to suck from a bottle, so an elderly
German woman brought my mother a lamb’s nipple which required little strength to suck from, and that is how I began to be
able to suck. But even after all of that, I was still not moving or responding at all. One day, my mother cried out to
God and asked Him to please give her a sign, to show her that she was not doing all of this in vain. All of a sudden, she
felt something cold and clammy slap her in the face. It was my little hand that had made its way up her face. It was the
first time that I had ever moved. My mother was so excited that she jumped off the bed almost knocking me over,
screaming my father’s name. ”Fred, Fred! The baby moved!”
Years passed. I had several obstacles. I acquired an upper-respiratory breathing problem. My muscles were too weak for
me to walk, so I ended up being in a wheelchair. My chest began caving in, so I had to have surgery when I was about
three years old to have my chest uplifted off my heart, lungs, and spine. I later had a muscle taken out of each of
my legs so that doctors could do a muscle biopsy on them. Doctors determined that I have
the type of muscles that will grow stronger, not weaker over time.
I eventually began attending school. In school, I was a straight ”A” student all the way through elementary, junior
high, and high school. Throughout my years in school, I was harassed and teased by fellow students. I had no friends,
never went to school dances, and was never asked out on dates. I constantly kept my head held high and graduated
from high school, earning a scholarship from the Springfield Lion’s Club. Teachers told me that I would never make it
going to a big university and that I needed to go to a small community college, so I began attending Kellogg Community
College. I soon became bored there, so me, my mother, and my father moved to Carbondale,
Illinois where I began attending
Southern Illinois University, which had a student population of over 26, 000. I majored in Psychology there.
My mother and father would drop me off to class and then would go home. On Thursday February 27, 1992 about 4:30 PM,
my mother and a lady came to my algebra class. My mother was crying. When she had gone back to the van to ride home with
my father, she had found him slumped over the steering wheel and he was not breathing. Apparently, my father had had a
massive heart attack and had died. I immediately began crying hysterically. That was the worst day of my life.
My mother and I continued the dream of my father. We wanted to be closer to family and familiar faces, so we moved back
home to Battle Creek, Michigan where it all began.
I began attending the extension site in Battle Creek for Western Michigan University. On April 22, 1995, I earned a
Bachelor of Arts degree in Applied Liberal Studies. I was honored at my graduation ceremony by the president of the
university. I was also interviewed by the local newspaper, ”Battle Creek Enquirer.”
I didn’t stop there. I continued for a Master of Arts degree
in Public Administration. I also completed two internships for two human service agencies.
On April 25, 1998, I acquired my Master of Arts degree in Public Administration. Again, I completed a milestone that
others said that I could not possibly do.
Currently, I am not employed due to discrimination from various employers based on my disability. I have been in the
local newspaper stating my concern. I am trying to break the barriers for other persons with disabilities.
On February 24, 2000, I was appointed by our governor, Gov. John Engler to serve a two-year term on the Michigan
Developmental Disabilities Council as a council member and advocate. Acting as an advocate for persons with
developmental disabilities. Channeling federal funds. Creating the Three-year State Plan, which awards grants to
state and local agencies and organizations. Financially maintaining and supporting local networking groups across the
state known as regional interagency coordinating committees (RICCS). Working together with other human service agencies.
I also ran for county commissioner in my district. The primary election was, Tuesday August 8, 2000. Even though I
did not win, I acquired new friends and great contacts.
August 24, 2000, I also founded a local nonprofit organization in Battle Creek, Michigan, called “Transportation
Impaired, Inc.” “Transportation Impaired, Inc.” was founded because I am deeply concerned about the lack of
transportation for people with disabilities. “Transportation Impaired, Inc.” was a 24-hour, 7 days a week private
paratransit service which provided door-to-door curbside transportation for persons with disabilities, senior
citizens, and also those with low income throughout the Calhoun county area. I acted as president and CEO of the
organization until May 29, 2002, at which time, it was closed due to lack of funding and volunteers.
I coined the term ’Transportation Impaired’, because those
with disabilities may be physically or mentally impaired and also have transportation impairments because they are limited
to the type of transportation they can utilize, due to their income, employment status, or past credit histories.
The overall objective was to assist as many senior citizens,
persons with disabilities and their families, by providing a 24 hour on-call accessible county-wide bus service.
I am now also a state advocate after having completed a training program through Michigan Partners in Policymaking.
It is a program teaching effective advocacy and self-advocacy, leadership, and communication skills to work with
legislators, state agencies, and others whose decisions and actions have an impact on the lives of persons with
disabilities.
I also served on the Board of Directors for Michigan Protection and Advocacy. I was elected to serve a three-year
term on the Board of Directors. I acted in the capacity of overseeing programs and services pertaining to information
and referral, technical assistance, rights protection and legal representation for persons with
disabilities.
** (See
Update) Currently, I am pursuing a PhD in Political Science from Wayne State
University in
Detroit. I have also just been chosen to represent our state in this year's national Ms.
Wheelchair America Competition in Des Moines, Iowa from July 22-27, 2003 as an Independent Delegate. Currently, Michigan does
not have a pageant to choose a titleholder. As Independent Delegate, whether I win the competition or not, I am charged
with the responsibility of developing a pageant committee, to put together an annual state pageant to choose a titleholder
each year to send to the national competition.
The mission of the Ms. Wheelchair America Program Inc. is to provide an opportunity for women of achievement who utilize
wheelchairs, to successfully educate and advocate for individuals with disabilities. The competition is not based
on beauty but on poise, presentation skills, and most of all advocacy and leadership skills. The winner travels nationally,
speaking and advocating for others with disabilities, regarding the creation of policies, programs, laws, etc.
I am telling everyone this story, because I think that it can be a source of strength and hope for others to never give
up. No matter what, never give up. I was the baby that doctors said would never be anything but a ”living
vegetable.” Boy, were they wrong. If it had not been for my mother and God giving her the strength to carry on, then
the doctors would have been right. I would have been just that. A ”living vegetable.” I thank them both.
** Update:
This
information was applicable in 2003. Currently Monica is actively involved in working with
the Michigan Department of Career Development-Rehabilitation Services to obtain employment.
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