Mary Youmans:  

Life I have been married for 27 years now to a great guy named Fred. We have 2 great kids, Fred Jr, 26 and Amanda, 19. However, our lives have been filled to spend most of it going to Columbia Presbyterian Babies Hospital in NYC. Amanda was born with servere Scoliosis which also caused her to have internal medical problems as well. She has had about 40 surgeries since birth. In 2003 Amanda a "halo" surgery which was extremely painful for her & us to watch. During one of the surgeries during that time Amanda had flat lined on the doctors & came very close to losing her. But with lots of prayers she pulled through. However, when it was time to leave the hospital she was in a wheelchair. But because Amanda is a strong willed child she refused to stay in a chair and worked hard to walk again. She now has a swing or "dead' leg as they say but does her best in walking. Today she is straighter than she was but it looks like the curve has come back some. Now she is in many ways like any other teen today except with disabilities. it makes it hard at times for her to go to school and do the things she really loves like dance, run & ride a bike, but she does her best. She only stands at 4ft 1 in and 65 lbs. with blond hair & green eyes. When she's not moody (like all teens) she i...Expand for more