LIVE QUICKIE BLOG

I was born in Laos in 1978 where people were self-sufficient and farmed their own land to feed their families and animals. My father was in the military and like most people in my country, my mother and grandparents were part of the farming culture. We took nothing for granted and were happy to live the life that we did. We didn't have much, but we were content.

According to the most recent statistics, there are more than four million parents with disabilities raising children in the United States. By most accounts, it's an underserved population, one with relatively few resources. By contrast, there's an abundant supply of online information about parenting children with disabilities, where to turn for advice, special equipment, and more. Parents with disabilities often have to rely on others in the disability community for advice on creating a safe and efficient home environment.

Today is an important day: World Environment Day. Today we will be reminded of the issues facing our environment and we will be encouraged to work to keep the planet safe for a better future. Here at Sunrise Medical, we strive to embrace sustainability and make it a part of our business every day, not just once a year. We believe it is important to remember that what's good for the environment is also right for business and that, both individually and collectively, we can make a positive impact when working toward a common cause.

On April 11 I celebrated my 15th "re-birth-day." For me, this re-birth signifies the anniversary of my injury. I'll be honest: this particular anniversary is one that I have always feared. It meant that I had been a wheelchair user for over half of my life and for some reason that scared me. Knowing that this date was approaching, I had a revelation at the end of 2017 that I needed to start taking better care of myself.

In 2007, Karen Toennis received an unexpected phone call. On the other end of the line was Dr. Stanley Appel, the neurologist who cared for Karen's husband, Mike, during his 13-year battle with ALS. They had not spoken since Mike's passing the year before, but Dr. Appel had a question for Karen.