GRAND Magazine - May/June 2011 - (Page 42)

Straight talk on disabilities Your grandkids need the truth Shelley with her husband and their grandkids I Share this article with your friends. t was 1979 and Shelley Peterman Schwarz’s 33rd birthday was days away. Her doctor had just told her she had primary progressive multiple sclerosis, or MS. Her condition worsened, as did her ability to cope. A writer, teacher and communicator, Shelley did not give up. She fought back, and through discovery, trial, error, patience and love from family, she was able to halt the progression of her MS. Today she helps educate people about MS and raises funds for a cure. Her disease had a lasting and encouraging effect on her two children. Relating to them helped form a philosophy that has trickled down to her grandchildren. “When conversing with a 42 GRAND MAY JUNE 2011 grandchild, speak to them at a level they can understand,” Shelley offers. “When one of ours asked why my legs ‘didn’t work,’ I was truthful, saying that when I was younger I came down with a serious disease, and as a result my legs ‘stopped working.’ “In their innocence, a child can be very direct, and your reply should not only be truthful, but positive and unemotional. If asked if you’re ‘going to die,’ you’ll know what to say and how to say it. You want understanding, but not sadness or tears in response to your answers. “Be upbeat, and conclude with a hopeful message,” Shelley http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001747/

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - May/June 2011

GRAND - May/June 2011
Grand Treasure Hunt
Table of Contents
Grand View
Grand Central
Rational Grandkids? Yes!
Bragging Rights
Cover Story: A Force For Good
Charlie & Gaytha Hillman: Grand Entrepreneurs
Improving Medicare
Grand Products
Growing Old vs. Growing Up
Too Old For Sex?
Kids as Caregivers
My Way or the Highway
Kinship Care
Find Fun Things To Do
Straight Talk on Disabilities
Look for the Moon in the Morning
Toys ’n Tech
Grand Finale
Op-Ed: Is Sex Forever?

GRAND Magazine - May/June 2011