Carol's greatest strength is her personality. She gets along well with people. She encourages others. She is strong-willed and has the determination to keep trying. If she can't do a thing one way, she will do it another. I draw strength from her sometimes myself.

I believe the biggest challenge Carol ever faced was getting an education and getting her technology funded. We fought very hard to get her educated. She wanted to be in the regular classroom but the school system kept saying no. We fought that battle for seven years but finally she was put in the regular program. That was a happy day for all of us. She worked very hard to prove that she belonged in the regular classroom. The first test she took the teacher thought she had cheated. She asked her to take it over. Carol did and got two points higher. We were so proud of her.

Carol has the goal to stay employed and support herself. She hopes some day to meet someone and get married. She will continue to work and will keep on advocating for others in the community. She has a goal to also become a public speaker and she will work toward accomplishing that goal.

The Liberator has played a huge role in Carol’s successes. Without the Liberator she would be at a loss because she depends on it for computer access as well as for her general communication needs. Technology is part of Carol. Without her technology she cannot function. She has to be able to get on the Internet. To take technology away from Carol would be like putting a bird in a cage and taking food away. That bird wouldn't last long. That's the way Carol would be without her technology.

I feel Carol is a hero because she has worked so hard to overcome the disability cerebral palsy has left her with. She wakes up every morning with a smile on her face even though she has to wait for someone to get her up. She has a great outlook on life even though she has to depend on someone to feed her. She lives in a body that runs in slow motion but it hasn’t broken her spirit. She has fought so hard to live and enjoy life. She has used her technology to support others and to tell them that life is worth living. She went to Washington and spoke to the Senate Sub-Committee using her technology. I was so scared I couldn't talk at times.  Not her! She was so brave. She was a true hero that day. I feel she is always a true hero because she has accepted her disability, she believes in herself, she doesn't give up, she forgives peoples mistakes, and she loves with an unconditional love. She will always be my hero.

Submitted by
Jean Smith, Carol’s mother