Dustin!
Thanks for the great post, and including what you wrote about Tabitha.
I really appreciate it.
I'll print it in an upcoming letters collumn if you don't mind.
It must have been a surreal experience reading issue #2 and being able to relate to it so personally.
Best,
David
: Mack
: Thanks again for your incredible work. It never fails to
: inspire me.
: I was pleasantly surprised to see a character with a
: prosthetic leg, especially someone who contructs and
: modifys their own leg. I like the symbolism of a
: person building / changing / removing / adding parts
: of themselves.
: I happen to have a prosthetic leg. I was born with a
: birth defect and i've worn one for the majority of my
: days. The paintings of all of the little arms and legs
: reminded me of all of the various legs I've worn over
: the years. It is really interesting to see how the
: legs change and evolve over time.
: Below is an article that I wrote several months ago about
: my own experience with having a prosthetic when a good
: friend of mine lost her leg in a auto accident, and
: was facing the challenges of learning to live life as
: an amputee. I thought you (and maybe some others on
: the board) might find it interesting.
: Thanks again for the beautiful work
: Dust
: ----------------------------------------
: I as born with fibula hemimelia, also known as congenital
: longitudinal deficiency of the fibula. This means I
: was born without a fibula bone in my right leg. The
: fibula is one of the two bones between your knee and
: your ankle. My right leg was also considerably shorter
: than my left and I was missing toes on both of my
: feet. The birth defect also affected my knees and
: ankles.
: I was what a physician would consider an abnormality. A
: case study.
: My right foot was amputated when I was nine months old
: and I was later fitted with a prosthesis. The
: prosthesis allowed me to lead a normal active
: childhood. It never stopped me from doing anything
: that I wanted to do. I never saw myself as a victim. I
: never considered myself handicapped. I was just
: suffering a minor inconvenience.
: I'm constantly fighting rashes and open sores and
: insurance companies and airport security, but I never
: allow it to ruin my day. I don't worry about the
: $5,000 I owe for the brand new prosthesis that I'm
: wearing, my insurance paid a little more than half. I
: don't sweat the small stuff. I have everything I need.
: I don't always fully appreciate it, but I have all the
: elements of happiness right in front of me. We all do.
: I always think, "what would Carrot Top do if he had
: a fake leg?" I've always had a sense of humor
: about my situation. I used to tell people a dog chewed
: it off, or it was a really bad forth of July accident.
: It is just one more thing that makes me unique. If
: anything it has humbled me. It has made me stronger in
: spirit.
: Last September, my good friend, Tabitha Oblinger was
: seriously injured in an automobile accident. She
: severely damaged one of her legs and has since endured
: a long battle to keep her leg. Tabitha was in and out
: of surgery to fight off the serious infection that had
: settled in her bone.
: After a long, hard battle, the doctors were forced to
: amputate her leg in order to prevent the infection
: from spreading. Tabitha will soon be fitted for a
: prosthesis and she will begin the long and difficult
: process of learning to walk again.
: "Amputation" is a very scary word for most
: people. But amputation doesn't mean you can't lead a
: meaningful and fruitful life.
: You can endure anything. It is always an issue of mind
: over matter. I always try to remember that I'm more
: than this flesh and bone body. I have control over my
: happiness. I always try to focus on the positive side
: of things. Yes, I have my moments of frustration and
: depression and cynicism, but ultimately I know that my
: life is pretty damn good. I don't have much to
: complain about.
: I haven't seen Tabitha for several months. I miss
: Tabitha. I miss the energy she brought to CityArts.
: She has an unrelenting spirit and an incredible wit
: that never ceases to inspire me. She is an incredible
: artist and a loyal friend. She is the heart and soul
: of CityArts. She is the person that makes that
: eggplant purple building so damn special. (Hell, it
: took a small army of people to take over her duties.)
: There is no doubt that she is loved by many. She
: hasn't lost her sense of humor, just her leg. It won't
: stop her from giving us all a good ass kicking when we
: need it.
: CityArts is hosting a silent auction fundraiser for
: Tabitha on March 27, 6 - 8 p.m. We are asking for art
: to be donated and for people to come out to show their
: love and support for Tabitha. If you wish to donate
: art, please drop off your work at City Arts from March
: 22 to 26. The artist will set the "buy out"
: price and the silent auction will start at 10 percent
: of the buy out price. All of the proceeds go directly
: to Tabitha.
: Tab you're an inspiration and we all love you. Please
: come back soon and put us all back in line.