A Place for Us

Wendy Wolf entered an iron lung at the age of four and emerged a polio survivor whose life illustrates the challenges of opportunity and acceptance people with disabilities face and the triumphs and successes this extraordinary woman achieved. Though she came close to death, she survived the iron lung and 7 subsequent surgeries, ultimately suffering almost total loss of use of all four limbs. She went on to earn 3 degrees, improve the lives of hundreds of children through her services as a Speech Therapist in New York and Mexico and Arizona, found the first Independent Living Center in Arizona, found a unique introductory service for people with disabilities, raise two foreign born special needs children largely as a single parent, advocate for many issues to improve the lives of people with disabilities, and become Ms. Wheelchair Arizona 2006 and, at the Ms. Wheelchair America 2007 Pageant, win the Nicki Arde Award for her lifelong history of advocacy. More than the story of an extraordinary woman overcoming a severe disability, this is the honest portrayal of a girl with self esteem issues accepting an abusive relationship out of desperation, and battling for her own and her children's survival. It is the story of a girl whose maternal instincts lead her to accept the challenges of adopting a Brazilian boy from an abusive background and a Korean girl with cerebral palsy, and raising them to become self sufficient contributing members of society. It is the story of a girl with limitless hope and courage who survived countless rejections and still sought to help others and still believed that love conquers all. If you have a disability, or a family member or friend or co-worker with a disability, they will recognize parallels with their life in this biography of Wendy Wolf. They will feel her angst and empathize with her struggles that echo in their own lives. If you are a caregiver or health care professional, you will find this biography of Wendy Wolf a doorway to understanding that will improve your communication and performance in dealing with people with disabilities. Wendy Wolf's biographer, William Karl Thomas, has had his other works described as "championing the underdog" and "telling his stories through the eyes of strong women." His novels cover such topics as the survival of three women during the Korean War ("The Josan and the Jee"), and a black female journalist, an intimate friend of black entertainment and political celebrities during the civil rights era, whose life takes a dramatic turn when she crosses swords with a cynical white male publicist ("Cleo"). Even his non-fiction, such as his professional memoir describing his ten year collaboration with the most controversial comedian of the twentieth century ("Lenny Bruce: The Making of a Prophet"), was described by The Manchester Guardian as "reads like a Bogart script." His works are noted for historical accuracy in dealing with "the high points of America's social evolution in the twentieth century." The brief dedication of Wendy Wolf's biography reads, "This book is dedicated to the more than 250,000 post polio survivors in America, 20 million post polio survivors worldwide, 32 million people with disabilities in America, and 650 million people with disabilities worldwide, all of whom want what every human wants, the opportunity to be independent, productive, accepted, and loved, and to have 'A Place For Us.'" Giving "A Place For Us" to a person with a disability delivers the message, "I understand, I care." Giving "A Place For Us" to a relative or caregiver or medical practitioner delivers the message, "Please understand, please care." Giving "A Place For Us" is giving the gift of love.