Western NY Support Group

Too often we focus on the negative. After all, there are plenty of negatives to be found, especially when dealing with TM. TM brings many hardships and struggles, most prominently to the TM patient, but to his or her family, as well. It comes in without warning, and changes everything in its path. However, TM also brings blessings. The blessings are often not seen until much later, however, they are there waiting for us the entire time. You have to wait through the rain to get to the rainbow.

My sister, Allyson, developed TM on June 25, 2001, my mom's birthday and the day after my college graduation party. She woke up a healthy 11-year-old. By 5:00 PM, she couldn't walk to the bathroom, and when she was carried there, she couldn't go anyway. She spent the next day in the pediatric emergency room and the next three weeks in the hospital. In a matter of hours, my sister had become paralyzed from the waist down. The saddest moment in my entire life was watching my baby sister in a hospital bed, strapped to a backboard, with a neck brace, screaming in pain. During those moments, I couldn't imagine anything positive ever coming out of this horrible experience.

But the horrible experiences have not lasted forever. We all survived that first 48 hours when no one could give us a clue about what was going on in her body. We all survived three weeks of living in the hospital, and having her come home in a wheelchair. Not only did we survive, we have thrived because of it.

The blessings of TM have changed my life, and the lives of my family. My sister is an amazing person. I'm sure she'd have been pretty great without going through TM, but because of it, she is simply wonderful. She knows that since she learned to walk again, she can do absolutely anything. She has compassion for everyone, and enjoys all the little things that too many of us take for granted on a daily basis. In short, she is my hero. My family is a lot closer and stronger since TM. We appreciate every day together, because we know how quickly things can change. We know we can weather any storm as long as we're together, and we're not afraid to cling to each other when the clouds come rolling in. Personally, I've learned that there is no such thing as an insurmountable obstacle and that each storm, no matter how fierce, will pass, and a rainbow will appear.

In honor of the rainbow, as well as the rain, I have created the Western NY Support Group. I look forward to helping newly diagnosed TMers through the worst of the storm, as well as reminding all of us to look for the rainbow. Please get involved in our support group! Please feel free to contact me at any time.

Shannon O'Keefe
75 Orchard Creek Cir.
Rochester, NY 14612
585-889-0059
sjokeefe79[AT SIGN]yahoo.com