Marlene and Tammi both have cerebral palsy, a physical disability caused by brain damage, that has left them bound to wheelchairs for much of their lives.
Despite their physical limitation, for the last year, these two inspirational young ladies have been co-editing the Respite Reader, a newsletter the Arc Mercer publishes once a month as a part of their Aftercare Program.
The Arc Mercer is a local organization that specializes in helping individuals with developmental disabilities
realize their goals. Over the course of the last year, Brockington and Weiger have been realizing their dreams of being editors despite the odds. In their capacity as co-editors, they have been busy drafting questions for interviews, editing submissions, and shooting videos with their smartphones.
These two editors work closely with the Arc Mercer staff to brainstorm and come up with story ideas, but Recreation Manager John Morton said that members of the staff in no way change their words once they submit their work .
Anwar’s Reflections—a Trentonian affiliate— was invited to the Arc of Mercer in Trenton last week to take a peek at what these two young ladies were up to. During my visit, I was given the opportunity to interview them.
Upon arriving at the facility, I was greeted by both editors. During our nearly thirty minute interview, the ladies were all smiles. They say they enjoy working together and that the best part of their job is doing the fashion stories.
Arc Staff Manager, Brandon King, said that, "Every day Tammi is ready to go, its just amazing to see the growth of these two young ladies".
The newsletter includes interviews, special features, and other articles.
For more information on the Arc Mercer and their Aftercare Program, contact John Morton at (609) 989-9211 or by email at jmorton@arcmercer.org.
For access to the interview, please see below:
Thanks for sharing.... very insightful to see that even thru there personal issues, they still fight to do something they enjoy.
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