Deborah Wardein:
CLASS OF 1988
Civic Memorial High SchoolClass of 1988
Bethalto, IL
Trimpe Junior High SchoolClass of 1984
Bethalto, IL
Forest Homes Elementary SchoolClass of 1983
Bethalto, IL
Eunice Smith Elementary SchoolClass of 1979
Alton, IL
Deborah's Story
Deborah is from Alton, Illinois. Deborah's schools include Civic Memorial High School, Eunice Smith Elementary School, Trimpe Junior High School, Forest Homes Elementary School. Deborah later attended Life in the Real World.
Music Deborah likes includes Alton Amphitheater, Stay Tuned For Us, George Strait. Books Deborah likes include What is Marriage? Man & Woman: A Defense, New American Bible, Revised Edition. Movies Deborah likes include Shot by Shot - The Magic of Moviemaking, The Wizard of Oz, The Bells of St. Mary's. TV shows Deborah likes include This Week in Cardinal Nation Show, EWTN, Marcus Grodi.
More about Deborah:"I was born with Spina bifida. Spina bifida is an abnormality of the nervous system that occurs in a baby's development during the first month pregnancy. Most textbooks define spina bifida as a neural tube defect or a gap in the fusing of the neural tube that encloses the spinal cord. While a neural tube defect indicates a diagnosis of spina bifida, it is only part of what is a total nervous system disorder. The number of children born with spina bifida is approximately 1 in every 1000 births.
There are many types of spina bifida. The most common is:
Myelomeningocele
A sac containing an abnormally formed spinal cord protrudes from an opening in a baby's back. The nerves at and below the defect are damaged. The higher the defect occurs on the spine, the greater the number of nerves that are affected. Babies need surgery shortly after birth to repair the affected area of the back.Life Expectancy
Historically, a child born with a more serious form of spina bifida or more severe neural tube defect was expected to live a greatly abbreviated life. Today, however, increased education about spina bifida, emphasis on the importance of personal care, greater understanding of the accompanying health issues associated with the condition, as well as surgical advances have resulted in a much higher quality of life and greater life expectancy for persons with spina bifida. As many as 90 percent of persons born with spina bifida will survive into and possibly past their third decade ...Expand for more
of life. The current adult population living with spina bifida is reaching unprecedented levels of achievement.While surgery will close the opening in the baby's back and prevent infection, the damage caused as a result of the nerves being exposed during the baby's development cannot be repaired.Individuals with spina bifida can have vastly varying degrees of impairment, from virtually no impairment to severe sensory, motor, autonomic and cognitive impairment. Myelomeningocele is the most severe form of spina bifida where many systems can be impacted in direct relation to how severe the abnormality is and where it occurs. Generally speaking, the higher the abnormality is on the spinal cord, the more systems that are involved. Some common problems/conditions that individuals born with spina bifida experience include:
Allergic reactions caused by prolonged exposure to latex
Bladder, bowel and kidney problems
Eye problems
Fractures
Hydrocephalus (excess fluid on the brain)
Learning disorders
Seizures
Skin problems
Tethered spinal cord
Social skills deficits
Weight gain/obesity
Depression and other psychological / psychiatric issues
It is likely that a child born with spina bifida will require numerous surgeries over the course of his/her life. Frequent hospitalizations require a great commitment of time, finances and energy on the part of the family and/or caregiver and can have quite an emotional impact on the family. Common Physical Characteristics
Because of surgery performed to repair the spinal cord, individuals with spina bifida are often short in stature. Limited mobility and lower metabolic rate due to the condition often result in a greater likelihood of obesity. I have at all times in my life tried to be as independent as possible despite my disability. I no longer wear my leg braces because of various problems that developed in the past three years that include frequent falls. With the use of my power wheelchair I am at least as active as I was if not more so than I was while wearing the braces. I also have diabetes. I am a Catholic Christian and I enjoy attending daily Mass".
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