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Althea McDowell
 Althea was born in 1963, the older of two children. Her mother and father both passed away before she was 14. Afterwards, she and her brother, Rodney, were raised by their wonderful grandparents, who adopted them and brought them to live at their home in Pennsylvania. Althea was the first one in her family to attend college. She completed her undergraduate work at Eastern College, a small liberal arts school in PA, and then earned her law degree at Villanova University. She practiced law in Delaware for a time, then worked at the University of Delaware as the Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator until 1998. Althea loved her work advocating for the civil rights of people with disabilities, which became more meaningful after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1991. Althea moved into the Mary Campbell Center in May 2000, a long-term residential facility for adults with disabilities in Wilmington, Delaware.
Althea is a positive and energetic person. She could easily give in to self-pity as her physical abilities continue to decline. Instead, she embraces what matters most to her, love for her family and friends, expressing herself creatively through writing and painting, and laughter. Althea's greatest strength has been her ability to assure that her life is not misinterpreted; by focusing on the valuable people and life experiences she encounters rather than on what has been lost.
Althea's greatest challenge has been to keep herself connected and active in the world as her physical capabilities have changed. She has met this challenge by relying on her innate motivation and optimism, the support of her friends and family, and the assistive technology that so far has managed to keep pace with her changing needs. For example, as Althea's ability to speak decreased, she was able to rely on her Pathfinder with WordPower to help her communicate at her usual level of detail and sophistication.
Althea enjoys writing, reading, painting, watching good films, and visiting with her friends and family. Althea has the goal of "reading" (listening to) as much classic literature as possible. Currently, Althea is working to update her memoir, "Honey from the Weed." Her Pathfinder has allowed her to write and edit her book on the computer. It also helps her to keep up a thriving email system with friends, family, and professionals involved in the causes she cares about.
Submitted by Janice Timlin, MA, CCC/SLP
The Mary Campbell Center
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Trial Evaluation