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'run r \ \ i r \ r \ i i c dc a\ /etd A3 HUSQVARNA SEWING MACHINES & SERGERS A D V A N C E D S W E D I S H T E C H N O L O G Y ONE DAY SALE UP TO $500 FREE W O RKSH O PS W ITH EACH M ACH IN E PURCHASE. ONE LOCATION ONLY. Oakville Sew ing C entre Trafalgar Village M all (across from CO Station) 844-2782 May Flowers at C A N A D IA N DIABETES A S S O C IA T IO N A S S O C IA T IO N C A N A D IE N N E DU DIABETE v Never give up Wheelchair-bound speaker delivers message o f hope By Howard Mozel OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF After having her both her body and her dreams shat­tered in a car accident last year, Sheri-lyn Poaps appears well on her way to re-assembling the pieces. Her willpower and drive were evident on Monday during a talk at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Poaps' first .speaking engagement since she was paralyzed Nov. 29th. During her time with the assembled students, Poaps shared her anger but also the goals which she has now set to ensure a bright future. "The better you make yourself, the more you have to live for," she said. Poaps explained that this applies to not only job prospects and inde­ pendence, but also to her physical well-being if and when research uncovers a cure for spinal cord injuries. If you lay around and allow your body to atrophy, she said, a cure won't be of much use. "I might get up. I might walk again," she said. Mere months ago, Poaps' out­ look was far more bleak. She and some friends were out at a Mississauga club and accepted a ride home from a male who said he had not been drinking. Poaps was in the back seat with another male (the car was loaded with seven people) but was not wearing a seatbelt. At Hwy. 403 and Winston Churchill the driver lost control and the vehicle rolled four times. Poaps and one male were thrown out the rear window. Poaps broke her back in two places and sustained many other major injuries and broken bones. Stays in several hospitals and multiple surgeries followed, then lengthy rehabilitation. "I'm full of metal," she said. "Screws everywhere." The driver was not legally drunk, but is now facing six counts of dan­ gerous driving causing bodily harm. Poaps hopes - but is not optimistic - the driver will get jail time. "I'm stuck in the chair for the next 70 years," she said. "I'm really mad at the driver. When I go to court I don't know what I'm going to do." Poaps makes it clear she also looks no further than the mirror to Wednesday, April 28, 1999 S Sh op p ers D rug Mart 520 Kerr Street, Oakville 845-6674 --------------- in v i t e s y o u t o o u r -------------- D IA B E T E S C L IN IC D A Y Thursday, April 29,1999 • 10:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M. • SEE THE NEW TECHNOLOGY IN METERS - BLOOD SUGAR TESTING • DIABETES WELLNESS INFORMATION ------------------------------ -------------------- WALK-INS WELCOME Photos by Barrie Erskine Former Burlington high school student Sheri-lyn Poaps spoke to an assembly of S t Thomas Aquinas students on Monday. She relived the accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down and shared both her anger over the incident and hopes for the future. cast blame for getting into a car with an unknown driver and not wearing a seatbelt. "Obviously it's not a smart thing to do," she said. "If I'd just stopped and thought about it, the little voice in my head would have said don't do it. When you're drinking you think you're invincible." Poaps admitted to drinking again after her accident, but no more. "Drinking and wheelchairs don't mix," she said. "It's like permanent­ ly driving." Once she recovered as much as possible, Poaps' goals rapidly changed from merely trying not to fall down to setting the stage for her future: she plans to attend Mohawk College this fall then on to McMaster University to study Occupational Therapy. Compared to the quadriplegics she's seen in hos­ pital, Poaps feels fortunate and would like to spend her energies helping people like them. She is also getting a car (driving classes start today) and she began swimming again on Monday. A singer (Poaps sang the national anthem at a Special Olympics event before her accident) she will take the stage in June at a concert for the Canadian Paraplegics Association. Poaps also hopes to have chil­ dren some day, something she was not sure would be possible at first. Problem is, she would have to stay in hospital five weeks prior to the due date since she won't feel the onset of labour. "I could have a baby and be sitting on it and not know it," she laughed. To help Poaps in any way possi­ ble - such as expensive renovations to her parents' home - St. Thomas Aquinas gave her a cheque for $500 on Monday. Although she's from Hamilton and had been attending Burlington's Assumption High School (Aquinas' sister school) local teachers and students rallied to her cause. In the weeks ahead they have planned a fundrais­ ing dance, raffles, draws and a variety of other events. After all, said one teacher, Poaps has helped them by sharing her story. Anyone wishing to donate can do so to the Sheri- lyn Poaps Trust Fund, care of Bank of Montreal, Lakeshore and Kenwood branch in Burlington. Oakville Museum If the old adage "April showers bring May flowers" is true, then the O a k v i l l e Museum at Erchless Estate has the perfect event for the month of May -- The Spring Flower Pressing Workshop on Tuesday, May llth. The work­ shop is from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the O a k v i l l e Museum. I n s t r u c to r Sharon Lowe will teach the elegant art of flower pressing and help partici­ pants hand-craft their own greet­ ing card. There is a $25 instruction and material fee for the course. Participants should bring a phone book, scissors, tweez­ ers and some fresh flowers to press. Space is lim­ ited. 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