Personal Perspectives

Hello,

My name is Amanda and I am asking for financial assistance to fulfill a lifetime goal of mine. I feel a little strange asking friends and random people to help fund my project but you have to speak up if there is any chance of others helping you. At least I will know that I gave it a shot.

A little bit about me; I was born 34 years ago with a genetic bone condition called Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI). I have type 3, which is one of the most sever forms of the disease. OI is often referred to as brittle bone disease because my bones are "imperfectly made from the beginning of life". There is no cure for the disease but it is manageable. I have broken over 100 bones in my lifetime, many while I was still in the womb and have had over 30 surgeries. I am only 3 feet tall and use a wheelchair to get around. 3 years ago I lost 75% of my hearing, which is also a side effect of the disease. Despite all of this, I attended public school starting in first grade and went as far as to get my masters degree. I worked full time for 11 years but was laid off earlier this spring and I am currently looking for new employment.  

Here is where my lifetime goal comes in. Since I am currently not working, I now have the time to dedicate to this project but not the funding.  

I want to write an autobiographical book geared towards parents raising a child with a similar condition. I believe my parents did a wonderful job and I wouldn't be the independent person I am today without them. Many parents of physically disabled children are very protective to the point they actually hold the child back from being everything they can be. I am not saying all parents are that way and each parent knows what is best for their own child. I do not see this as being a motivational book. Instead I view this as "another perspective". I simply want to get parents to think out side of the box. Once the book gets under way, I plan to start a website to compliment the project. There will be more information about the progress of the book, additional stories and possibly an area for discussion. The direction of the site may evolve as interest grows.

I have already begun writing on topics that I hope to include in the book and established the domain for the website.

I am looking for funding to purchase MS Office so I can use a real word processing software vs. saving what I write as email drafts. The funding will also go towards designing the website, hosting it and finally publishing.

Most of the people I know probably won't get too excited about the book because they are not parents or let alone parents of a disabled child. I have come up with a few rewards that are unique to the project but not necessarily disabled related.

If you are able give any amount, no matter how large or small is it will be greatly appreciated - thank you for the bottom of my heart. If you are unable to make a contribution and are willing, will you please repost on twitter, Facebook or any other social media outlet you prefer? Thank you so very much for taking the time to read my post. I welcome any and all questions!