Famous People born with Spina bifida
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Robert M.
May 12, 2010, 8:33:05 AM5/12/10
to Spina bifida Network
Hank Williams, Sr.—Singer and Songwriter
Williams was one of the most influential country musicians of all
time, both as a singer and as a composer. He suffered severe back pain
throughout his short life. Sources cite him as having spina bifida or
spina bifida occulta. An operation in 1951 aimed at relieving his
constant pain was not successful. Addicted to alcohol and morphine,
Williams died at the age of 29.
Judy Woodruff—CNN Co-anchor
Judy Woodruff has a son who has spina bifida. In interviews, Woodruff
shares that Jeffrey was born in 1981 with a mild case of spina bifida,
but during routine surgery at age 16 developed complications which
resulted in brain damage. She has been instrumental in the annual SBAA
Celebrity Roast which raises funds for the Spina Bifida Association of
America. Judy's husband is Al Hunt.
John Cougar Mellencamp—Singer & Song Writer
In the interview from the Special Olympics, he also said that two
other people were born at the same time he was with spina bifida. He
said he always saw a particular girl at the basketball games who was
confined to a wheelchair. He asked someone who it was and they told
him that she was one of the others born with spina bifida.
John realized it could have been him in that wheelchair and that is
one of the main reasons he did a song for the Special Olympics. Most
of those with spina bifida end up like the girl in the wheelchair and
are not as lucky as John.
Buddy Winnett—Horse Trainer & Jockey
Buddy Winnett is a former horse jockey and trainer who is legally
blind due to macular degeneration. Born in West Virginia to a large
family, Winnett was diagnosed with spina bifida, and wasn't expected
to live past the age of 6.
Frida Kahlo—Artist
It is believed that Mexican artist Frida Kahlo may have had spina
bifida, along with other disabilities, including residual damage from
polio and injuries suffered in a bus accident.
Bruce Payne—Actor
British actor has a mild form of spina bifida. Learn more about his
career on his page at IMDB.
Richard M. Daley—Mayor of Chicago
Mayor Daley had a son named Kevin who had spina bifida. Kevin died in
1981.
Elvis Grbac—Quarterback
Elvis has a young son who has spina bifida. During his career he was a
starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs,
and Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. In 1996, Grbac
was famously slammed by San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown. Brown
criticized Grbac's costly turnovers against the Dallas Cowboys on
Sunday and called the 49ers' second-string quarterback an
''embarrassment to humankind.'' Grbac later said he was not prepared
to play because he has been worried about his 9-month-old son, Jack,
who has spina bifida, recently underwent surgery. The mayor later
apologized.
Jean Driscoll—Wheelchair Racer & Olympian
Jean was born with spina bifida. She is a seven-time winner of the
Boston Marathon, setting world records in five of those races. She set
a world record in the 10-kilometer race last year, and won silver
medals in 800-meter events at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics, as well as
two gold medals, one silver and one bronze at the 1996 Paralympics.
In 2000, Jean was voted #25 of the Top 100 Female Athletes of the 20th
century by Sports Illustrated for Women, a list topped by the Olympic
track and field sensation, Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
Jay Bradford Fowler—Poet
Jay Bradford Fowler Jr., was an award-winning poet who was the author
of 17 books of verse. He was born with spina bifida, and had been
treated for degenerative arthritis throughout the 1990s. He had
undergone at least 16 major operations over the years and had been
bedridden the past eight years.
The first of his 17 books of poetry, "Writing Down the Light," was
published in 1987. A book of his collected poems, "Caged Angel," was
published in 1997. His last book, "Outrageous Asylum, Sonnets from the
Nursing Home," appeared in 1998. A final volume of his work is to be
published this year.
Paul Monette—Author
Monette was the older of two boys. His brother, Robert, was born with
spina bifida. Monette became Robert's protector and champion. He also
decided he would need to live an exemplary life to compensate for his
brother's illness. "Paul Monette: The Brink of Summer's End" is a
poignant, illuminating documentary on Paul Monette, the National Book
Award-winning author, who wrote with eloquence and fire about the
devastation of homophobia and AIDS, the disease that left him twice a
widower and ended his own life in 1995 at age 49.
Jim LeBrecht—Sound Designer
Jim was born with spina bifida. He is also the co-author (with
composer Deena Kaye) of Sound and Music for the Theatre: the Art and
Technique of Design, and has been a visiting professor at Yale
University. LeBrecht has won numerous awards, including the San
Francisco Bay Area Drama Critics' Circle Award for Outstanding Sound
Design, which might as well be renamed in his honor, since he's won it
five times.
Rene Kirby—Actor
Best known for his role in Shallow Hal, Rene (pronounced 'Reen')
Kirby was born in Vermont in 1955. He also appeared in the film "Stuck
On You" with Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear and Eva Mendes, and the HBO
series Carnivàle.
Van Smith—Theatrical Make-Up Artist
Born in Florida in 1945, Walter Avant Smith Jr., showed an early
interest in art, but lacked dexterity due to stiffness in his hands as
a result of spina bifida. But he parlayed that interest into a career
with film-maker John Waters after earning a degree in fashion arts
from the Maryland Institute College of Art. Waters referred to Smith
as the resident "ugly expert". He designed the pink satin ball gown
adorned with huge cockroaches worn by Ricki Lake in Mr. Waters’s 1988
film, “Hairspray” and Divine's trademark look. He also worked as an
illustrator at Women's Wear Daily and other publications in New
York.He died of a heart attack in December of 2006.
Gilbert M. Gaul—Two-time Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist
Gil is a 1979 Pulitzer Prize winner for Investigative Reporting and
has written for the Philadelphia Inquirer and Washington Post. He has
a son, Cary, who has spina bifida. Gil profiled his son's early years
in the book "Giant Steps" which is currently out-of-print but can
sometimes be found at used book stores and online.
Robert Hensel—Disability Activist/Poet & 2x World record holder
Robert was born with spina bifida. He an International poet-writer
with well over 900 publications published worldwide. In 2000, Robert
was nominated as one of the best poets of the 20th Century. Robert is
also a Guinness & Ripley's World Record Holder for the longest non
stop wheelie in a wheelchair, covering a total distance of 6.178
miles.Quote: I choose not to place "DIS", in my ability.
Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson—Wheelchair Racer & Paralympian
Born with spina bifida, Grey-Thompson's full name is Carys Davina but
she is better known by her moniker, "Tanni". Tanni uses a wheelchair,
and is considered to be one of the most successful disabled athletes
in the United Kingdom. Thompson competes in events over a wide range
of distances, first competing in the 100 m at the Junior National
Games for Wales in 1984. Over her career to date, she has won a total
of 16 Paralympic medals, including 11 golds, held over 30 world
records, and won the London Marathon six times between 1997 and 2002.
In 2002, she was made a Dame of the British Empire by Queen
Elizabeth.
Deontay Wilder—Boxer
A rising star in the boxing world, Deontay is has a daughter, Naiyea,
who was born with spina bifida in 2005. In May of 2007, he won
heavyweight belt for the 2007 Golden Gloves National Tournament of
Championship. At that time, he had 16 fights under his belt. Dave
Godber, is the head coach of Deontay's team. “A man with 16 fights
winning this championship is nothing beyond unbelievable,” Godber
said. “That very rarely happens. This is something good to happen in a
community.” Members of Deontay's team chanted Naiyea's name during the
Golden Glove championship bout. His work earned him a spot on the 2008
Olympic team.
Daniel Vance—Journalist / Columnist
Writer of the self-syndicated column Disabilities, Daniel Vance is
raising the profile of people with disabilities, bringing awareness
and understanding of disability issues to the general public. His
column has been published in more than 260 newspapers. Vance is the
editor of Connect Business Magazine and author/co-author of ten books.
He is also the father of Abigail, a 14-year-old with spina bifida. His
wife Carolyn is one of 150 master knitters in the world.
Boris Kodjoe & Nicole Ari Parker—Actors
Actors Boris and Nicole have two children, daughter Sophie Tei Naaki
Lee and son Nicolas Neruda. Sophie was born with spina bifida.
Austrian-born actor Boris Kodjoe is well-known for his role on the
Showtime series "Soul Food" where he met his wife, fellow actor Nicole
Parker. He's also done several movies, including the newest
installment in the "Starship Trooper" series. He also had a role in
"Love and Basketball" and starred in "All About Us." He was named to
People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People in the World 2002".Nichole
Ari Parker appeared in several critically-acclaimed independent films
including The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love, Boogie
Nights, 200 Cigarettes, and the 1999 Sundance Film Festival winner The
Adventures of Sebastian Cole.Boris and Nicole have started a charity
to raise money for the The Xiao Procedure for Children with Spina
Bifida.
Blaine Harrison—Musician
Blaine Harrison is the lead singer of the British group The Mystery
Jets, a four-piece British indie band. Blaine has spina bifida and
uses crutches to get around. The band recently cancelled a string of
shows after Blaine developed pressure sores on his feet while in a hot
tub. He has a funky hairstyle that others are trying to copy.
Mike McGee—Slam Poet
Born January 12, 197 6 in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. McGee currently
lives in San Jose California where he started his career in spoken
word, poetry slam and performance poetry in 1998.
David Proud—Actor
British actor, best known for his work on the British soap, Eastenders
where he played Oxford student Adam Best, son of Minty’s girlfriend
Manda.David was born March 14, 1983 in Cambridge, England.
Jade Calegory—Actor
Jade starred in the movie "Mac and Me" , a movie about an
extraterrestrial, separated from his family and stranded on Earth, and
a boy who uses a wheelchair. Jade was born April 12, 1976.Quote: "You
shouldn't dwell on what you can't do. Focus on what you can do. And
the more you see what you can do, the more you come to realize there
are no limitations in life."
Jeffrey Tate—Conductor
Born in 1943 in Salisbury, England. Studies medicine at Cambridge
University before switching to a career in music, which begins with
schooling at the London Opera Center. Becomes principal assistant at
Covent Garden in 1977. Makes regular symphonic appearances in Berlin,
Dresden, Los Angeles and Boston.
Biography
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Williams was one of the most influential country musicians of all
time, both as a singer and as a composer. He suffered severe back pain
throughout his short life. Sources cite him as having spina bifida or
spina bifida occulta. An operation in 1951 aimed at relieving his
constant pain was not successful. Addicted to alcohol and morphine,
Williams died at the age of 29.
Judy Woodruff—CNN Co-anchor
Judy Woodruff has a son who has spina bifida. In interviews, Woodruff
shares that Jeffrey was born in 1981 with a mild case of spina bifida,
but during routine surgery at age 16 developed complications which
resulted in brain damage. She has been instrumental in the annual SBAA
Celebrity Roast which raises funds for the Spina Bifida Association of
America. Judy's husband is Al Hunt.
John Cougar Mellencamp—Singer & Song Writer
In the interview from the Special Olympics, he also said that two
other people were born at the same time he was with spina bifida. He
said he always saw a particular girl at the basketball games who was
confined to a wheelchair. He asked someone who it was and they told
him that she was one of the others born with spina bifida.
John realized it could have been him in that wheelchair and that is
one of the main reasons he did a song for the Special Olympics. Most
of those with spina bifida end up like the girl in the wheelchair and
are not as lucky as John.
Buddy Winnett—Horse Trainer & Jockey
Buddy Winnett is a former horse jockey and trainer who is legally
blind due to macular degeneration. Born in West Virginia to a large
family, Winnett was diagnosed with spina bifida, and wasn't expected
to live past the age of 6.
Frida Kahlo—Artist
It is believed that Mexican artist Frida Kahlo may have had spina
bifida, along with other disabilities, including residual damage from
polio and injuries suffered in a bus accident.
Bruce Payne—Actor
British actor has a mild form of spina bifida. Learn more about his
career on his page at IMDB.
Richard M. Daley—Mayor of Chicago
Mayor Daley had a son named Kevin who had spina bifida. Kevin died in
1981.
Elvis Grbac—Quarterback
Elvis has a young son who has spina bifida. During his career he was a
starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs,
and Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. In 1996, Grbac
was famously slammed by San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown. Brown
criticized Grbac's costly turnovers against the Dallas Cowboys on
Sunday and called the 49ers' second-string quarterback an
''embarrassment to humankind.'' Grbac later said he was not prepared
to play because he has been worried about his 9-month-old son, Jack,
who has spina bifida, recently underwent surgery. The mayor later
apologized.
Jean Driscoll—Wheelchair Racer & Olympian
Jean was born with spina bifida. She is a seven-time winner of the
Boston Marathon, setting world records in five of those races. She set
a world record in the 10-kilometer race last year, and won silver
medals in 800-meter events at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics, as well as
two gold medals, one silver and one bronze at the 1996 Paralympics.
In 2000, Jean was voted #25 of the Top 100 Female Athletes of the 20th
century by Sports Illustrated for Women, a list topped by the Olympic
track and field sensation, Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
Jay Bradford Fowler—Poet
Jay Bradford Fowler Jr., was an award-winning poet who was the author
of 17 books of verse. He was born with spina bifida, and had been
treated for degenerative arthritis throughout the 1990s. He had
undergone at least 16 major operations over the years and had been
bedridden the past eight years.
The first of his 17 books of poetry, "Writing Down the Light," was
published in 1987. A book of his collected poems, "Caged Angel," was
published in 1997. His last book, "Outrageous Asylum, Sonnets from the
Nursing Home," appeared in 1998. A final volume of his work is to be
published this year.
Paul Monette—Author
Monette was the older of two boys. His brother, Robert, was born with
spina bifida. Monette became Robert's protector and champion. He also
decided he would need to live an exemplary life to compensate for his
brother's illness. "Paul Monette: The Brink of Summer's End" is a
poignant, illuminating documentary on Paul Monette, the National Book
Award-winning author, who wrote with eloquence and fire about the
devastation of homophobia and AIDS, the disease that left him twice a
widower and ended his own life in 1995 at age 49.
Jim LeBrecht—Sound Designer
Jim was born with spina bifida. He is also the co-author (with
composer Deena Kaye) of Sound and Music for the Theatre: the Art and
Technique of Design, and has been a visiting professor at Yale
University. LeBrecht has won numerous awards, including the San
Francisco Bay Area Drama Critics' Circle Award for Outstanding Sound
Design, which might as well be renamed in his honor, since he's won it
five times.
Rene Kirby—Actor
Best known for his role in Shallow Hal, Rene (pronounced 'Reen')
Kirby was born in Vermont in 1955. He also appeared in the film "Stuck
On You" with Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear and Eva Mendes, and the HBO
series Carnivàle.
Van Smith—Theatrical Make-Up Artist
Born in Florida in 1945, Walter Avant Smith Jr., showed an early
interest in art, but lacked dexterity due to stiffness in his hands as
a result of spina bifida. But he parlayed that interest into a career
with film-maker John Waters after earning a degree in fashion arts
from the Maryland Institute College of Art. Waters referred to Smith
as the resident "ugly expert". He designed the pink satin ball gown
adorned with huge cockroaches worn by Ricki Lake in Mr. Waters’s 1988
film, “Hairspray” and Divine's trademark look. He also worked as an
illustrator at Women's Wear Daily and other publications in New
York.He died of a heart attack in December of 2006.
Gilbert M. Gaul—Two-time Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist
Gil is a 1979 Pulitzer Prize winner for Investigative Reporting and
has written for the Philadelphia Inquirer and Washington Post. He has
a son, Cary, who has spina bifida. Gil profiled his son's early years
in the book "Giant Steps" which is currently out-of-print but can
sometimes be found at used book stores and online.
Robert Hensel—Disability Activist/Poet & 2x World record holder
Robert was born with spina bifida. He an International poet-writer
with well over 900 publications published worldwide. In 2000, Robert
was nominated as one of the best poets of the 20th Century. Robert is
also a Guinness & Ripley's World Record Holder for the longest non
stop wheelie in a wheelchair, covering a total distance of 6.178
miles.Quote: I choose not to place "DIS", in my ability.
Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson—Wheelchair Racer & Paralympian
Born with spina bifida, Grey-Thompson's full name is Carys Davina but
she is better known by her moniker, "Tanni". Tanni uses a wheelchair,
and is considered to be one of the most successful disabled athletes
in the United Kingdom. Thompson competes in events over a wide range
of distances, first competing in the 100 m at the Junior National
Games for Wales in 1984. Over her career to date, she has won a total
of 16 Paralympic medals, including 11 golds, held over 30 world
records, and won the London Marathon six times between 1997 and 2002.
In 2002, she was made a Dame of the British Empire by Queen
Elizabeth.
Deontay Wilder—Boxer
A rising star in the boxing world, Deontay is has a daughter, Naiyea,
who was born with spina bifida in 2005. In May of 2007, he won
heavyweight belt for the 2007 Golden Gloves National Tournament of
Championship. At that time, he had 16 fights under his belt. Dave
Godber, is the head coach of Deontay's team. “A man with 16 fights
winning this championship is nothing beyond unbelievable,” Godber
said. “That very rarely happens. This is something good to happen in a
community.” Members of Deontay's team chanted Naiyea's name during the
Golden Glove championship bout. His work earned him a spot on the 2008
Olympic team.
Daniel Vance—Journalist / Columnist
Writer of the self-syndicated column Disabilities, Daniel Vance is
raising the profile of people with disabilities, bringing awareness
and understanding of disability issues to the general public. His
column has been published in more than 260 newspapers. Vance is the
editor of Connect Business Magazine and author/co-author of ten books.
He is also the father of Abigail, a 14-year-old with spina bifida. His
wife Carolyn is one of 150 master knitters in the world.
Boris Kodjoe & Nicole Ari Parker—Actors
Actors Boris and Nicole have two children, daughter Sophie Tei Naaki
Lee and son Nicolas Neruda. Sophie was born with spina bifida.
Austrian-born actor Boris Kodjoe is well-known for his role on the
Showtime series "Soul Food" where he met his wife, fellow actor Nicole
Parker. He's also done several movies, including the newest
installment in the "Starship Trooper" series. He also had a role in
"Love and Basketball" and starred in "All About Us." He was named to
People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People in the World 2002".Nichole
Ari Parker appeared in several critically-acclaimed independent films
including The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love, Boogie
Nights, 200 Cigarettes, and the 1999 Sundance Film Festival winner The
Adventures of Sebastian Cole.Boris and Nicole have started a charity
to raise money for the The Xiao Procedure for Children with Spina
Bifida.
Blaine Harrison—Musician
Blaine Harrison is the lead singer of the British group The Mystery
Jets, a four-piece British indie band. Blaine has spina bifida and
uses crutches to get around. The band recently cancelled a string of
shows after Blaine developed pressure sores on his feet while in a hot
tub. He has a funky hairstyle that others are trying to copy.
Mike McGee—Slam Poet
Born January 12, 197 6 in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. McGee currently
lives in San Jose California where he started his career in spoken
word, poetry slam and performance poetry in 1998.
David Proud—Actor
British actor, best known for his work on the British soap, Eastenders
where he played Oxford student Adam Best, son of Minty’s girlfriend
Manda.David was born March 14, 1983 in Cambridge, England.
Jade Calegory—Actor
Jade starred in the movie "Mac and Me" , a movie about an
extraterrestrial, separated from his family and stranded on Earth, and
a boy who uses a wheelchair. Jade was born April 12, 1976.Quote: "You
shouldn't dwell on what you can't do. Focus on what you can do. And
the more you see what you can do, the more you come to realize there
are no limitations in life."
Jeffrey Tate—Conductor
Born in 1943 in Salisbury, England. Studies medicine at Cambridge
University before switching to a career in music, which begins with
schooling at the London Opera Center. Becomes principal assistant at
Covent Garden in 1977. Makes regular symphonic appearances in Berlin,
Dresden, Los Angeles and Boston.
Biography
--
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Groups "Spina bifida Network" group.
To post to this group, send email to
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To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
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