The People That Lift Me Up

It's 6:30, time for the dress rehearsal for the talent show. I get to the beautiful chapel, got my great outfit on, all ready. I saw the talent show last year and knew I had to be in it this year. I performed in Camp Courage Idol which was a talent show at Camp and I had won which solidified that I should do this. I am ready, I see that big, beautiful stage in the chapel! But, the stage is not ready for me...not one bit!

I get there and ask Jennifer, a homecoming chair if the lift is ready. No. It is not working. The lift to the stage that I have dreamed about performing on...yea...that lift is broken! Jennifer says that she has called maintenance. I'm thinking this should be a twenty minute quick fix. The maintenance man comes and he says, there is nothing we can do. What? So now I have about five students looking at this thing. They are all still trying to get it to work. Shortly after the maintenance guy leaves, Elizabeth who I have mentioned in the blog before and is one of the staff members in charge of this event comes. I start getting all teary eyed when she shows up. I didn't want my dream to be put on hold for another YEAR. Elizabeth says, I've made some calls to the head of Security and another maintenance guy is coming. Meanwhile, my sorority sister Brittany has not left my side. I am a wreck; in fact everyone was a wreck. The guys are still trying to work on the lift. At this point, you're probably thinking, why don't they just lift the chair? That is a big rule with my parents and I that NOBODY lifts the chair. Despite this concrete rule, Brittany and I call my mom and explain the situation. My mom of course says, no, it's way too dangerous. At this point, I am frustrated and sad.


The guys (my fellow students) are still working on the lift. They have been working on it for a good hour now, meaning I have been in emotional turmoil for a HOUR. I am just looking at Brittany like, is this really happening? She is trying to comfort me as well as fix the lift. On top of everything, the audience is starting to come. Great.

While the show begins and a lot of guys who are helping me actually have to do their jobs and host the show, the maintenance guy comes and unlike the other maintenance guy who just said call the manufacturer (OK, buddy like company hot lines are open at 8:00 at night), this guy was determined to fix this thing. Meanwhile, Ian who is another staff member sponsoring this event comes. Ian was also very determined to get me on stage. So, now Ian and the maintenance guy are trying to fix the lift to the stage of my current dreams. I take the liberty to call my mom again to ask if I can have the willing guys lift me on stage. She responds, you wouldn't be calling me if this was safe. Darnit, you're right, Mom! And yes, I did use a different word besides darn.

Going into our third hour of this mess, people are wondering if I should perform on the ground, they have moved my act to very thr last, I mean everything has been done in my favor which I was more than thankful for. I remember saying to Ian, at least I have great people around me and this will make a great blog. Remember, Brittany is still at my side. And I have to admit, I was looking up at that chapel ceiling periodically throughout the night going, God, are you serious? Another half hour of emotional turmoil passes and nothing.

It's the end of the show and things are looking real, real bleak. Until, the lift starts moving up and down. We're halfway there! Then, by some miracle and a lot of hard work the lift is able to unfold! It was a joyous moment for all! Brittany is crying for joy, I am overjoyed and hugging everyone in sight, Ian is just plain relieved, Elizabeth is smiling from ear to ear and everybody backstage is simply overjoyed including the maintenance man. I call my mom and say, it is quite the moment! Everyone was simply thrilled!

I roll on the lift, it does indeed take me up and I roll on stage. Brittany takes my DynaVox off and I start dancing with my heart and soul. I own that stage! It was an amazing feeling! The audience gave me a standing ovation which just was incredible and they didn't know that I had struggled to physically get on the stage. I had already won the talent show in my mind.

So, after my dance, I am thinking it does not matter if I win. I got to dance on that glorious stage and fulfill a dream. When we were all called back on stage to announce the winner, I thought, OK, it would be nice to win. When the envelope was passed to the host, HANNAH THOMPSON was announced. Oh my God! This was like a Disney movie! The other performers started to hug me and I felt like Miss America! My other sorority sister, Kim got runner up!

Needless to say, I am so incredibly grateful for ALL those people who worked on the lift! Students and faculty came together to fulfill a dream. All I can say is THANK YOU, especially to my Phi Mu sister, Brittany!

Since I have been in Phi Mu, I have had incredible things like this happen, maybe not on this large of a scale but still incredibly blog worthy!

In March, we had a retreat at a sister’s house. We had ordered a ramp and when I got there, it hadn't come. Two of the girls helped me sit in a normal chair and while my assistant was figuring out the ramp situation, the girls held me in the chair and fed me pizza. The sisters are willing to take that extra step and help me.

Over the summer, we had a recruitment workshop ALL DAY. Around the lunch hour, girls were getting food from Portillos. Two sisters gladly offered to go and get Portillos and bring it back. They fed me like it was second nature. While we were eating, the two sisters started to talk about how involved they would get this year. During their conversation, I commented, it’s really hard for me to get involved because of me having to manage my assistants. You have to understand that I can't be involved in everything since I essentially have a job managing my assistants so hearing these conversations is difficult. Instead of brushing the comment off, they expressed that they understood my responsibilities and watched me struggle with ongoing cancellations with my assistants. They really did get it.

At homecoming, all the Greek organizations tailgate. We're talking and having a great time and I start gagging. A couple of sisters take me back to my room and calm me down. We were talking in my room about how some people really don't get it. For example, they pointed out that people apologize when I hit them and instances such as those when people act like idiots. I'm sitting there thinking to myself, they really do all get it so much to the point where we can totally joke about it.

I joined a sorority because of the fundamentals. I would be a part of a group of women who shared the same beliefs as me and would eventually get to know me on the level I just explained. This is the feeling I have at Camp Courage. I wanted to find those fundamentals that Camp Courage had and be able to have that feeling at college. Those fundamentals would include: a structured schedule, planned activities, amazing people, and an immense feeling of acceptance. Phi Mu is able to give me all those things in a college setting. I am so grateful and blessed to have Phi Mu and Camp Courage in my life. Finally, a big thank you to my parents because I wouldn't of been able to go to Camp Courage without them driving me eight hours there and back every summer for four years and finding a place where I would be embraced for having a disability. And my parents are very supportive of me being in Phi Mu, they never say no unless it involves my safety. My parents, my sorority sisters, the people at Elmhurst College and my beloved Courage friends, you are the people that lift me up. I love you all so much!

Lots of Love,
Hannah!