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Katie is a Wisconsin girl at heart who strives to paint with her words, illustrating a soulful connection with nature and inclusive outdoor adventure. She was diagnosed with SMA Type II during toddlerhood. With a background in human development and family studies, she finds fulfillment in encouraging others to embrace their distinctive beauty. When she’s not engaging in advocacy or writing, you’ll likely find her hiking an accessible trail, adoring a sunset, or eating a s’more somewhere. She has three companions who hold her heart — two of which travel by paws (the other has human feet). Follow her story on Instagram @wheelprintsalongthewildflowers.
I rolled up to the checkout counter, rosy cheeks beaming in delightful mimicry of the friendly-faced pansies beside me. The greenhouse air was thick and sweet like the morning sun’s hot breath in summertime. As my caregiver placed several cartons of sprightly lantanas beside the cash register,…
As a tiny tot, I crawled everywhere. I was the daintiest crouched explorer my backyard habitat had ever known. Once I crawled, my family soon beckoned me to begin walking. That’s how the sequence of life works, after all. When we’re given the breath of life,…
I sat on my outdoor patio, coffee cup in hand, breakfast before me, and eyes alive with wonder of where my beagle, Eva, might be. I scanned the feathered tips of rich green pines reaching into the morning skyline above me. I listened to barbershop quartets of dapper…
Some people with disabilities say they’ve never wished for different circumstances. Well, I’m about to enter a black hole with you, in revelation of an honest confession: I’ve cast so many wishes into the night, I’ve nearly robbed the entire sky of stars. Odds are, you’ll…
Have you ever felt the sensation of the wild green thorns? In times of overwhelming frustration, they slither toward the pit of your inner sanctuary from outer reaches. Their barbed tendrils gouge trails of apathy across the stone walls and humble cottage windows surrounding your heart. They…
On the corner of Western Avenue and Birch Street, two dainty toddlers ruffled through vibrantly woven Easter baskets. A dawdling waterfall of sunlight beamed through the bay window, casting a gilded aura around their disheveled nests of Sunday-morning hair. With contrasting hand strength, they each shook…
I recently ventured on safari with my heart and soul to take a look around at what growing a caregiving team means to me. My intentions established a touchstone from which I can construct a hospitable living space for change and growth. Now that perspective has…
In North America, where I reside, an equilibrium springs forth this time of year. Because of the spring equinox, the dance of dominance between daylight and nightfall is at a point of viridescent intermission. The sleep-wake cycle rises and sets in mutual agreement. Together, the crescent moon and…
I haven’t mentioned this to you yet, but I’ve decided to go on safari. Wheeling through bristled grasslands and sprawling wilderness, I’ll breathe in the sights, sounds, smells, textures, and tastes of a new adventure. If you’d like to be my companion, come along with me on the…
I gotta go climb some mountains, and I gotta do it now. That was the thought I focused on as I emerged from the pulmonary unit waiting room, weaving my wheelchair among sandstone fabric chairs arranged in a labyrinth of novice scale. Another six-month checkup appointment with…
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