O’Daniel wants to
make a difference
The Spina Bifida Association website claims spina bifida affects about 165,000 Americans and is the nation's most common permanently disabling birth defect. It occurs when a child's spine doesn't close during the first months of pregnancy. People with spina bifida usually require a brain shunt to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid.
In a telephone interview, 20-year-old Kara O'Daniel of St. Louis, Missouri, said: “I was born with spina bifida and have had 32 surgeries since then, including tendon transfers and most recently surgery on my bladder and intestines. Of those surgeries, many have been leg surgeries to help keep me able to walk.” She also has a learning disability affecting her reading comprehension and math abilities.
But early on, the surgeries and learning disability were the least of her problems. In fourth grade, for example, a girl in her elementary school learned Kara had spina bifida and wrongly accused her of being “mentally retarded.”
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