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Mindy Lindstrom- 1st Runner Up Mindy Lindstrom, who has congenital absence of the lower limbs, is from Seattle, WA. She describes herself as joyful, agile, able, concerned and inquisitive. Her platform is called The Ableution, which she describes as a disability revolution, a critical evolution and savvy shift of a collective community. The ableution will create a space to tell stories and share experiences of critical and often overlooked human experience. If she becomes the next Ms. Wheelchair Washington, she says she would work in the schools and education arenas of my local community in order to facilitate real conversation about the experiences of disability, different bodied life, and wheelchairs! 2011 MS. WHEELCHAIR WASHINGTON - KENDRA SCHRAML!
Hello, my name is Kendra Schraml and I am Ms. Wheelchair Washington 2011. Born and raised in beautiful Southern California – Chino to be exact. I moved to Washington in July of 2007.
When I was born into the world on February 9th, 1983 to Chuck and Debbie, the doctor’s told my parents that I would be mentally challenged and a burden. They recommended placing me into a home. Luckily my parents thought the doctor was incorrect and never did that. Sad thing is that this scenario still happens today.
Sacral Agenesis is my disability. The disability has so many varying degrees and isn’t a one size fits all, like most disabilities. My spine ends at T-10. The beginning of my life was plagued with surgeries, but I persevered. All of my surgeries were done at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) and performed by Dr. Carl Weinert. I thank them for giving me more mobility than I would have had originally. Due to my aging and pain, I started using a wheelchair. Using my wheelchair allows me so much freedom and I love it!
My parents were the very best and always taught me that I could do anything I set my mind to. Sure there were things that I couldn't do like others, but my parents told me that I could still do it, I just had to modify it to do it my own unique way. They were always in my corner, helping me reach for the stars.
At the age of eight, my father was diagnosed with Lung Cancer. I had no idea what Lung Cancer meant. I knew that my father was sick, but I thought he would ultimately get better. Isn’t that what people do when they get sick? Within nine months of being diagnosed with the Lung Cancer, he passed away. I was only nine years old.
After my father’s passing, my mother was never the same. She became severely ill and lived in constant pain. My mother had Polymyositis, Diabetes, Coronary Artery Disease, Connective Tissue Disorder, COPD, and much more. Due to my mother’s disability, she was never able to return to work. This, in turn, caused us to have financial issues.
Financial issues are always hard to deal with. A person can end up on the street with the flip of a light switch. Without the help and support of our wonderful family, we might not have fared so well. Our local food bank also helped us tremendously.
When I was sixteen years old, I started working full-time to get us through the hard times. I worked my way through college and ended up graduating at the age of 22 in December of 2005 with my Bachelors in Business Administration with a Concentration in Computer Information Systems from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. During my time at Cal Poly, I was also a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society.
Upon graduation, I quickly obtained employment at Bank of America as a Systems Analyst. I worked at Bank of America until March of 2010. My co-workers were wonderful. I learned a lot about the financial industry, financial projects, and the SEC while working there.
Within five months of my graduation, in April of 2006, my wonderful and beautiful mother passed away. She was only 50 and I was 23. One of my worst fears became reality. The death of my mother rocked my world. Today, five years later, I still struggle with the grief. I think about her everyday and would give anything to just be able to hug her.
My current employer is the SanMar Corporation in Issaquah. We are a clothing distributor. I am a Information Technology Project Manager for them and have been there since August of 2010. I enjoy my job – the people, the projects, and the corporate culture. It is nice to go into work everyday and be greeted by a warm smile.
Currently I am finishing up my Masters in Business Administration (MBA) with a Concentration in Project Management. I am looking forward to the day I obtain my MBA. Once I have my MBA, I plan to obtain the Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification. Education is a very important part of life.
In 2007, I met my husband Karl online through Dating4Disabled.com. We dated for over a year before were married on 08/08/08. Our love story was even featured in an issue of Ability magazine. My husband is great to me. He is my support system, the love of my life, and my comic relief. We also have four wonderful dogs that we affectionately call our kids and our furr babies. We have two Jack Russell Terriers (Angel and Harley), one Rat Terrier (Vader aka CBoi aka Cowboy), and one Yellow Lab (Beaux.) They keep us on our toes!
Children are in our future. We have been trying for over two years to have our own child, but with no success. Fertility treatments have yet to get us anywhere. It is so disheartening to see when a friend is pregnant and I feel like crying, but I pick myself back up. We have started on the foster parent/adoption route. We are hoping to bring several children in our home to give them the life that they deserve. We still pray to God to someday bless us with a baby. I can see our beautiful child in my head – a mixture of Karl and me!
March of 2009 was another life changing moment in my life. I underwent weight loss surgery – Duodenal Switch. My whole life I had struggled with weight and didn’t want to end up with the same health problems my parent’s had. Due to my disability, genetics, and bad eating habits, it was hard to lose weight. I reached a whopping 285 pounds on a 4’10” frame. Something had to be done. Since then the surgery has revolutionized my life. When people say the surgery is the easy way out, I can’t believe their ignorance. Going through the surgery and afterwards, it has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but I don’t regret it
In late 2010, I decided to run for Ms. Wheelchair Washington for my first time and officially became Ms. Wheelchair Washington on January 22nd, 2011. I am very excited for what the future holds. I want to bring hope and awareness to others. I want the world to know that we are like everyone else and can be whatever we want to be.
My platform for Ms. Wheelchair Washington 2011 was eMobility. What is eMobility? It is a compilation of all the resources out there to assist with obtaining an education and a great career. With the Department of Vocational Rehab, scholarships, and more, individuals with disabilities should reach for the stars and attend college. There are many potential fields that are very disability friendly – one example would be Information Technology. Additionally, with the American’s with Disabilities (ADA) of 1990, we have so many more rights. Employers can’t discriminate against us and most provide us with reasonable accommodations. More and more employers are allowing employees to work remotely for a few days when ill. Most employers are also more than willing to modify schedules to attend doctor’s appointment. With all these opportunities, why not utilize it?
Throughout all of my life, I have experienced challenges, losses, relationships, happiness, sadness, ignorance, and so much more. When times were tough, I always knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel. I learned that through every bad situation there is something positive that comes out of it. In the words of Napolean Hill, "through every adversity and hardship lies the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”
2011 holds so many wonderful possibilities. I plan to work my best to bring awareness, help others, and so much more. If you are interested in me speaking at your organization, helping sponsor me in the Ms. Wheelchair program, or you just have a question, please don’t hesitate e-mailing me and I will respond shortly. I can also be reached via telephone at (253) 987 – 6027 or vi a e-mail at kendra@mswheelchairwa.org.
Thank you for stopping by my page! Please continue to reach for the stars and be all that you can be. The only limitations are the ones that you set on yourself!
When I was born into the world on February 9th, 1983 to Chuck and Debbie, the doctor’s told my parents that I would be mentally challenged and a burden. They recommended placing me into a home. Luckily my parents thought the doctor was incorrect and never did that. Sad thing is that this scenario still happens today.
Sacral Agenesis is my disability. The disability has so many varying degrees and isn’t a one size fits all, like most disabilities. My spine ends at T-10. The beginning of my life was plagued with surgeries, but I persevered. All of my surgeries were done at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) and performed by Dr. Carl Weinert. I thank them for giving me more mobility than I would have had originally. Due to my aging and pain, I started using a wheelchair. Using my wheelchair allows me so much freedom and I love it!
My parents were the very best and always taught me that I could do anything I set my mind to. Sure there were things that I couldn't do like others, but my parents told me that I could still do it, I just had to modify it to do it my own unique way. They were always in my corner, helping me reach for the stars.
At the age of eight, my father was diagnosed with Lung Cancer. I had no idea what Lung Cancer meant. I knew that my father was sick, but I thought he would ultimately get better. Isn’t that what people do when they get sick? Within nine months of being diagnosed with the Lung Cancer, he passed away. I was only nine years old.
After my father’s passing, my mother was never the same. She became severely ill and lived in constant pain. My mother had Polymyositis, Diabetes, Coronary Artery Disease, Connective Tissue Disorder, COPD, and much more. Due to my mother’s disability, she was never able to return to work. This, in turn, caused us to have financial issues.
Financial issues are always hard to deal with. A person can end up on the street with the flip of a light switch. Without the help and support of our wonderful family, we might not have fared so well. Our local food bank also helped us tremendously.
When I was sixteen years old, I started working full-time to get us through the hard times. I worked my way through college and ended up graduating at the age of 22 in December of 2005 with my Bachelors in Business Administration with a Concentration in Computer Information Systems from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. During my time at Cal Poly, I was also a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society.
Upon graduation, I quickly obtained employment at Bank of America as a Systems Analyst. I worked at Bank of America until March of 2010. My co-workers were wonderful. I learned a lot about the financial industry, financial projects, and the SEC while working there.
Within five months of my graduation, in April of 2006, my wonderful and beautiful mother passed away. She was only 50 and I was 23. One of my worst fears became reality. The death of my mother rocked my world. Today, five years later, I still struggle with the grief. I think about her everyday and would give anything to just be able to hug her.
My current employer is the SanMar Corporation in Issaquah. We are a clothing distributor. I am a Information Technology Project Manager for them and have been there since August of 2010. I enjoy my job – the people, the projects, and the corporate culture. It is nice to go into work everyday and be greeted by a warm smile.
Currently I am finishing up my Masters in Business Administration (MBA) with a Concentration in Project Management. I am looking forward to the day I obtain my MBA. Once I have my MBA, I plan to obtain the Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification. Education is a very important part of life.
In 2007, I met my husband Karl online through Dating4Disabled.com. We dated for over a year before were married on 08/08/08. Our love story was even featured in an issue of Ability magazine. My husband is great to me. He is my support system, the love of my life, and my comic relief. We also have four wonderful dogs that we affectionately call our kids and our furr babies. We have two Jack Russell Terriers (Angel and Harley), one Rat Terrier (Vader aka CBoi aka Cowboy), and one Yellow Lab (Beaux.) They keep us on our toes!
Children are in our future. We have been trying for over two years to have our own child, but with no success. Fertility treatments have yet to get us anywhere. It is so disheartening to see when a friend is pregnant and I feel like crying, but I pick myself back up. We have started on the foster parent/adoption route. We are hoping to bring several children in our home to give them the life that they deserve. We still pray to God to someday bless us with a baby. I can see our beautiful child in my head – a mixture of Karl and me!
March of 2009 was another life changing moment in my life. I underwent weight loss surgery – Duodenal Switch. My whole life I had struggled with weight and didn’t want to end up with the same health problems my parent’s had. Due to my disability, genetics, and bad eating habits, it was hard to lose weight. I reached a whopping 285 pounds on a 4’10” frame. Something had to be done. Since then the surgery has revolutionized my life. When people say the surgery is the easy way out, I can’t believe their ignorance. Going through the surgery and afterwards, it has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but I don’t regret it
In late 2010, I decided to run for Ms. Wheelchair Washington for my first time and officially became Ms. Wheelchair Washington on January 22nd, 2011. I am very excited for what the future holds. I want to bring hope and awareness to others. I want the world to know that we are like everyone else and can be whatever we want to be.
My platform for Ms. Wheelchair Washington 2011 was eMobility. What is eMobility? It is a compilation of all the resources out there to assist with obtaining an education and a great career. With the Department of Vocational Rehab, scholarships, and more, individuals with disabilities should reach for the stars and attend college. There are many potential fields that are very disability friendly – one example would be Information Technology. Additionally, with the American’s with Disabilities (ADA) of 1990, we have so many more rights. Employers can’t discriminate against us and most provide us with reasonable accommodations. More and more employers are allowing employees to work remotely for a few days when ill. Most employers are also more than willing to modify schedules to attend doctor’s appointment. With all these opportunities, why not utilize it?
Throughout all of my life, I have experienced challenges, losses, relationships, happiness, sadness, ignorance, and so much more. When times were tough, I always knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel. I learned that through every bad situation there is something positive that comes out of it. In the words of Napolean Hill, "through every adversity and hardship lies the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”
2011 holds so many wonderful possibilities. I plan to work my best to bring awareness, help others, and so much more. If you are interested in me speaking at your organization, helping sponsor me in the Ms. Wheelchair program, or you just have a question, please don’t hesitate e-mailing me and I will respond shortly. I can also be reached via telephone at (253) 987 – 6027 or vi a e-mail at kendra@mswheelchairwa.org.
Thank you for stopping by my page! Please continue to reach for the stars and be all that you can be. The only limitations are the ones that you set on yourself!
2009 Ms. Wheelchair Washington 1st Runner-Up Mindy Lindstrom
Mindy Lindstrom- 1st Runner Up Mindy Lindstrom, who has congenital absence of the lower limbs, is from Seattle, WA. She describes herself as joyful, agile, able, concerned and inquisitive. Her platform is called The Ableution, which she describes as a disability revolution, a critical evolution and savvy shift of a collective community. The ableution will create a space to tell stories and share experiences of critical and often overlooked human experience. If she becomes the next Ms. Wheelchair Washington, she says she would work in the schools and education arenas of my local community in order to facilitate real conversation about the experiences of disability, different bodied life, and wheelchairs! 
