Spread The Joy

I met Janice Sargent when I was but a small toddler barely diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Janice was an occupational therapist. Janice Sargent is truly one of a kind; she has been there from the beginning, another year and we'll be going on our silver anniversary. At first meeting as a child I wanted to run away. Janice is an eccentric, stubborn woman that made you work, pushed you beyond what you thought you were capable of, and didn’t take no for an answer (really!); as a child with cerebral palsy what I needed most terrified me. I remember dreading appointments and I know for a fact my brother was scared of Janice too. Yet as time progressed I realized what a gem Janice was and what a blessing it was to have the best occupational therapist working with me. Within the school system I dealt with several additional therapists and they paled in comparison to Janice.

When one walks into Janice’s office her walls are covered with testaments of how wonderful the work she does is, photos and notes expressing gratitude from her many patients. Janice became more than just an OT that I’d make appointments with, she became my friend, and she became part of my family. I know others hold the same sentiment. When I was a senior in college I would assist Janice with pool therapy for other children twice a week. I believe it was then that my understanding of how vital my interactions with Janice have been was manifested as I watched her diligently help those children struggle again and again but never giving up on them. Janice for all her eccentric corks has helped pushed me to be the best I could be and never looked upon a disability as a limitation but rather an opportunity. Each life that Janice touches, she touches for the better. Sometimes the visible results from occupational therapy are few or seem small to an observer but when you look in a young child’s eyes when they’ve swum across the pool, balanced on a therapy ball, or in my case touched the thumb to the pinky finger you see a result that is more important and longer lasting; you see confidence and joy because that Janice didn’t stop pushing you even when you thought you never could accomplish the task.

I had a discussion once that there are certain professions that once you find one that you like you never let them go. For your average person the list would include a doctor, plumber, mechanic, maybe a lawyer. For my list my occupational therapist and friend, Janice, will always rank up top with my massage therapist and my dentist (three people I would and do fly to Idaho to see). Little acts can change the world; Janice helps change the world by enabling others to change their little corner of the world. Thank you Janice for spreading joy daily.