Speak Anyway

It’s been a horrendous month regarding caregivers, but I want to thank those who really stepped up when everything was going south. It did so in unimaginable ways this month. I’m incredibly grateful for the good people in my life. You know who you are—thank you from the bottom of my heart.

In other news, I had two speaking engagements this month: one at Elmhurst University and the other at an elementary school.

I spoke for a disability awareness class back in January, and one of the students later emailed me to ask if I would speak at her sorority’s event. The focus was on being a minority and a woman. I was part of a panel and had the privilege of sitting alongside other fascinating women. Some were women of color, and others were part of the LGBTQIA+ community. It was incredibly compelling to hear their stories and perspectives.

The other speaking engagement, with the kids, was so much fun. I was connected through my pediatric speech therapist, and it felt like a full-circle moment. My mom and my therapist fought for me to have a communication device—and thank God they did. At such a young age, most people didn’t think I would be able to do all that I’m doing now. While I don’t blame them, I’m grateful I had the tools I needed to become who I am today.

I’m hoping April showers bring May flowers—in the form of a calmer month. But even if they don’t, I’ll keep speaking anyway.

Enjoy the sunshine,
Hannah!

Wake Up and Celebrate!

My alarm went off at 6:00 in the morning, which is most unusual for a Saturday. I don’t believe I would get up that early for many reasons, but this was a special day. It was my cousin’s 40th surprise birthday party. Emily was five years old when I was born, and she has been a staple in my life—a steadfast presence. Once the alarm went off, it was go time. My caregiver came at 6:30—bless her heart, because it’s usually 10:00. I do realize this is a serious perk of being single. Today was going to be a great day!

I had my caregiver dress me in a floral sweater and light blue jeans. I also really like the way she does my makeup, so I was grateful she came that morning. I quickly grabbed an iced cold brew from the fridge and a blueberry muffin. Yes, I do stock these things in the fridge to make the morning go smoothly. I’ve been living independently for almost 18 years. I’ve learned a few life hacks over the years. My mom came to pick me up, and we had a two-hour drive ahead of us.

It was a nice two-hour drive with my mom. We talked about what was going on in our lives and the people we love most. I like having this time one-on-one with my parents; it’s a really nice way to have all the time in the world to talk without worrying about how long it takes to type a message. We pulled up to a large but quaint coffee shop. It used to be a church, and the shop owner kept the stained glass windows. For a woman who loves Jesus and coffee, I was quite happy.

Emily has two little kids who own a huge chunk of my heart. They got there before Emily did. I hugged my seven-year-old and actually managed to have the coordination to pick her up. This was the first time in my life I was able to do that. I hugged her older brother, who is ten years old—going on twenty-five—so I gave him a bear hug. I couldn’t love them more.

“How long have you guys known?” Dad asked.
“A few weeks,” the kids replied.
“It’s a little scary how well they can keep a secret,” Jacob, Emily’s husband, replied.
I shook my head in agreement.

After about a half hour, Emily was coming! We got a two-minute warning, and then the countdown began: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EMILY!!!” everyone shouted. My cousin was so surprised. The expression on her face was the epitome of shock and pure joy. It was a moment of seeing my cousin truly happy.

For two hours, we talked and laughed together.

“Hey Hannah!” Emily exclaimed. “I’m so excited to see you. Thank you for coming,” she continued.
“Wouldn’t miss this for the world!” I replied.

I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I loved celebrating you all. You all bring me so much joy. It’s always an honor to be able to celebrate you.

One last very exciting thing! I met one of my favorite authors, Wade Rouse. He is a USA Today best-selling author and is absolutely brilliant. Wade and his husband, Gary, are going to put me in touch with

his agent, which is amazing. I took an online class with them in February, and they were very impressed with my writing skills. I can’t wait to connect and see where this leads.

It’s been a really lovely month. Spring is starting to shed winter’s harsh coat and replace it with colorful flowers and light. Let’s enjoy this season. May it offer you a renewed sense of hope.

With all that spring has to offer,
Hannah!

 

Singles Awareness Day

Valentine’s Day. Let’s talk about it. Some call it Singles Awareness Day. It makes me feel a little lonely every year, even though I couldn’t love my community more. You all make up the pieces of my heart, and I live a joy-filled life. I truly am happy, but happiness and loneliness can coexist. I genuinely have a lot to give to another person, and I don’t think the average man sees that in me. People who see me but don’t really know me probably assume many things about my life that aren’t true. All of you know that I bring a lot to a friendship. I love doing simple acts of kindness. The fact that small things can change our perspective is amazing. I love sending greeting cards for this reason—they’re a little way to show love to the people I care about.

I wholeheartedly believe my life is vibrant and full of connection. I don’t understand why romantic love hasn’t found its way into my life yet, and honestly, I’m a bit frustrated. If you know anyone who might be a good match, I’d love to hear from you. And full disclosure—if I go on a bad date, it will probably end up as a humorous blog post.

This month has been…well, a little blah. One morning, my communication device wouldn’t turn on, and I had to send it in for repairs. No cute story here—just my caregiver grabbing my backup device and packing up my current one to send to Ohio. Has the month been awful? Absolutely not. Has it been fantastic? Not exactly. But my dad got me roses on Valentine’s Day, and it meant a lot. Some of you made the day special too, so thank you.

Now, let’s move on to the month of luck—I already have my St. Patrick’s Day decorations up!

Remodeling and Reflecting

2026 had an interesting start. I was immensely sick with the flu—so sick that I was in bed for two full days. If you have the flu right now, I’m genuinely sorry.

All of this was happening while my dad remodeled my office. What used to be a desk, a bulletin board, and a collection of framed degrees and awards is now filled with drawers and floating shelves that hold the things I’m most proud of. It’s absolutely gorgeous and I am so grateful to my parents for making it come to life.

Mom and I also took on the task of hiring two new caregivers. It remains the most significant and repetitive challenge in my life. It takes up an enormous amount of mental space and is truly exhausting. If anyone wants to get together and brainstorm solutions, I’m available.

Mostly, I want to thank my parents for being my biggest supporters. We are a team, and I am deeply grateful for them.

And a word about the world. We are living in a time of unimaginable darkness—something my mind and heart still struggle to fully grasp. It’s disturbing on every level. To the many protesters last weekend: thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Our country’s ideals, rights, and liberties feel as though they are on their deathbed, and it is democracy—with a lowercase d—that will save the country we so dearly love.

“Today, we remember that freedom is not free. We have to work at it, nurture it, protect it, and even sacrifice for it.” —Alex Pretti

Stay strong,
Hannah!

 

Merry Christmas!

 I’ve decided that this month is simply about gratitude. To say I’m humbled is an understatement. Having such a strong village around me has led to unbelievable kindness and goodness.

While rolling through the grocery store, I ran into a mom from church.

“Hey, Hannah! I’m from church, and these are my two little girls.”

“Hi! I recognize you. Girls, do you think Santa is coming?”

“Yes!” they responded excitedly in unison.

“I have a good feeling you’re right,” I replied.

We said our goodbyes and parted ways. My caregiver and I hopped in the car and drove home.

“There’s trouble!” my mail carrier said by way of greeting.

“Hey, how are you?” I asked.

“Not bad, not bad. Here’s your mail.”

“Your timing is impeccable.”

“It’s my job.”

“You go above and beyond.”

“Merry Christmas, Hannah!”

In response, I pressed the preprogrammed button on my communication device that said, “Merry Christmas.”

As I pushed the elevator button to go up to my condo, I thanked God for my life and continued on with my merry day.

Thank you all for making my life as joyful as it is. God is my North Star, and you make up all the stars in my sky.

Love,

Hannah!  

Friendship and Gratitude

I started the month by celebrating the life of my best friend, Julie. Her twin sister, Natalie, threw the pinkest, most beautiful celebration for her. For those who don’t know, Julie passed away ten years ago from Cystic Fibrosis. Losing her was true heartbreak, and this decade without her has been bittersweet.

One of the unexpected blessings has been the friendships I’ve formed with her friends. For example, Julie’s neighbor’s wife, Nora, and I have become incredibly close. I introduced her to Natalie years ago, knowing they would get along—and they did. Watching the two of them navigate motherhood has been such a privilege. I'll definitely be the fun aunt when grow up. They are extraordinary mothers, and I feel so blessed to be their friend.

I just returned home from Thanksgiving. My Nana, who is 90, was lively and joyful, and I got to spend time with my two siblings, which is always fun. It was a wonderful, relaxing holiday—a much-needed break from the pace of everyday life.

I hope your Thanksgiving was just as warm and restful. Now it’s time to deck the halls! I want to say how profoundly grateful I am for all of you. The fact that you choose to read this year after year is a gift I could never repay.

So thankful,
Hannah!

Rolling Into a Fourth-Grade Classroom

“Hey, you were here last year. Welcome back!” the receptionist said as I handed her my ID. The glass between us was solid, protective—meant to stop a shooter if it ever came to that. I can’t enter a school without identification, which is exactly as it should be. Still, the thought always gives me pause as the buzzer sounds and the door opens.

“How are you?” they all asked once the security measures were behind us.

“I’ve been good.”

Nora peeked her head in.

“I’m so excited!” she said.

“Me too!” I replied.

I was going to speak about the movie Out of My Mind to fourth graders today. Nora is one of my good friends, and this is one of my favorite speeches of the year. We walked to her classroom, which was colorfully decorated and focused on positivity. We quickly caught up.

The fourth-grade class filed in and sat in their assigned seats. Nora introduced me, and I took over.

“Hi boys and girls! I’m so glad to be here! My name is Hannah, and I came just to talk to you today. I’m going to talk to you about my life and my disability—and, of course, about Out of My Mind.

I was born with something called cerebral palsy. I can’t walk or talk because of it. I can walk if someone helps me, but otherwise, I use my wheelchair. Because I have a disability, people come and help me. They help with taking me to the restroom, feeding me, washing my face at bedtime, putting me in bed, dressing me in the morning, and putting on my pajamas at night.

I may not be able to walk or talk, but I’m so happy to say that I graduated from college, have a job, and live a really happy life—even though I’m in a wheelchair. I sound a lot like Melody, right? Melody needs help like me. However, we have different lives, and I’ll talk about that throughout our time together.”

I have given this speech for ten years, and it never gets old. To refresh your memory, Out of My Mind is about a fourth-grade girl who has cerebral palsy and uses a communication device to speak. Sound familiar? It’s very familiar to me.

The kids ask questions at the end of my speech. These were some of them this year:

• Did the kids hurt your feelings in school? I always say it hurt to be ignored by my peers.
• Can you program your own communication device? Yes!
• Do you have friends now? Yes! I have friends who love me for who I am, which is priceless!

Their questions always make me smile—and think. Each year, I’m reminded how much I’ve changed since high school. Thank goodness life gets bigger and better after high school!

Have a Wonderful Month, 

Hannah!