Autobiography depicts life with disability

By Dale Liesch (Contact) | Dadeville Record

Originally published 11:12 p.m., January 28, 2009
Updated 11:12 p.m., January 28, 2009

Allison Wetherbee doesn’t mind talking about her disability, in fact she wrote a book about growing up with it.

Wetherbee, who was born without arms or legs, talks about growing up with the disability in her new book entitled “I Was Born That Way.”

Wetherbee, who is now the public relations director at the Easter Seals Alabama Special Camp for Children and Adults, completed the book while she was working as a mental health counselor in 2006. The idea for the book started from a weblog of the same title.

“I started keeping a blog three years ago,” Wetherbee said. “In six months I realized I was putting together my story.”

In the book, the Wilcox County native describes having to learn how to do things differently than other children. One such example was how she learned to write with her mouth before she started school.

“To a large extent, I have had to teach myself how to maneuver in this life,” Wetherbee wrote in the book. “For example, no one else could show me how to hold and angle a pencil in my mouth. It took years of practice to achieve the writing skills that match most other people’s.”

Wetherbee said her parents helped her learn how to write by having her draw smiley faces, starting at age 2.

“They realized that was the only way I was going to learn how to write,” Wetherbee said. “I don’t remember struggling to learn to write.”

In the book, Wetherbee describes her first trip to Camp ASCCA in Jackson’s Gap at the age of 7, which she credits to helping her build self confidence.

“Camp increased my self confidence,” Wetherbee said. “I had a sense in believing that I could accomplish anything as I got older.”

Wetherbee said throughout school her classmates at Wilcox Academy in Camden were always very helpful.

“My classmates dealt with it really well,” Wetherbee said. “They were like a team with me. They were wonderful.”

In the book, Wetherbee also describes attending her first prom in high school.

“I felt the same jitters and peer pressure every teenager feels,” Wetherbee said. “As I look back on high school that always makes me laugh.”

Wetherbee also uses the book to describe the awkwardness of a first job as a mental health counselor after she graduated from Auburn University at Montgomery.

While the first section of the book describes different aspects of Wetherbee’s life the second section of the book is described as “devotional,” which include stories relating to disability awareness as well as faith.

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