By Angela Gartner • Photography by Kim Stahnke
We highlight individuals and families who are inspiring others by sharing their experiences in the workplace, participating in fun and meaningful activities, and demonstrating how advocacy can create a more inclusive community for everyone.
Awareness and Celebrating Little
Victories Together — Tasha Wilburn
and her Daughter, Rayne
Tasha Wilburn’s youngest daughter, Rayne, was diagnosed with Erb’s palsy, in which her right arm was paralyzed at birth. Rayne, 3, has been through multiple surgeries and therapies. When one of Rayne’s siblings started referring to her arm as the “broken arm,” Tasha wanted to find a better way to help the children understand about how to think of it in a more positive light. So she wrote a children’s book, “Rayne Climbs Up,” based on a real-life experience where Rayne was climbing at the playground.
“In many ways, the book isn’t just about Rayne climbing up; it’s about our whole family learning to climb together,” Wilburn says.
Also, since Rayne’s favorite color is what she calls rainbow, the family started calling for Rayne to use her “rainbow power” or “rainbow arm” (and her siblings, too, adopted using their own rainbow power). Wilburn thought rainbows was a good symbol to include in the book as it represents “inner strength and children with disabilities having to navigate things differently.”
“It helped her siblings understand her journey in a different way,” Wilburn says. “They cheer her on, celebrate her accomplishments, and see her strength. As a mom, that’s something I’m incredibly proud of.”
“Writing ‘Rayne Climbs Up’ gave our family a chance to stop and reflect on just how far Rayne has come,” she adds. “When you’re living it every day with doctor’s appointments, therapy and everyday life, you don’t always realize how much progress is being made until you look back.”
Learn more about “Rayne Climbs Up” at tashalwilburn.com or find the book
on Amazon.