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Laura Merrill, 13, hugs her mother, Frances,
at their San Jose home. Frances would like Laura to have a computer
for schoolwork.
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Published Sunday, November 23,
2003, in the San Jose Mercury News
An
unbeatable team
DAUGHTER
PITCHES IN TO HELP MOTHER WITH CEREBRAL PALSY
when
you're 43 years old and living with cerebral palsy and chronic back
pain, an electric wheelchair is a necessity.
But when you're 13 years old, and perfectly healthy, it makes a
great toy.
``It goes seven miles an hour. That's pretty good for a wheelchair,''
says eighth-grader Laura Merrill, who likes to hitch a ride when
she's on her bike.
Laura and Frances live in subsidized housing in Sunnyvale. Laura's
father left them when she was 8 and provides no child support, so
it's just the two of them, supporting each other. Frances' full-time
job at the Silicon Valley Independent Living Center was recently
downgraded to part-time. Somehow they get by with a little public
assistance and a lot of perseverance.
``She's a big help to me,'' says Frances. ``If I overextend myself,
I can end up going to the emergency room.''
Growing up, Frances faced many surgeries. She's had to fight each
step of the way for her independence: learning to drive, attending
junior college, getting married, having a child, beating thyroid
cancer.
``Sometimes I can last an hour in the kitchen,'' says Frances,
who can, with a great deal of effort, raise herself from her wheelchair
and walk haltingly to the kitchen. When she does too much, her daughter
makes her sit down.
``I vacuum, do dishes and floors, clean my room and the cat box,''
says Laura proudly. When her mom's not feeling well, she prepares
Hamburger Helper for dinner.
Laura's dream is to go to college and become a teacher. What's
holding her back is the lack of a computer at home. To do schoolwork,
and keep up with the rest of the kids in her class, she waits after
school to get limited access to a shared computer.
``I want to give my daughter what I never had,'' says Frances,
but the cost of a computer ($700)
(25A) and printer ($50)
(25B) is way out of reach.
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