| Milford's 'mayor for the day' has what it takes to overcome adversity |
By Brian McCready, Milford Bureau Chief
New Haven Register |
MILFORD — Two months ago, Amanda Pitre was immobile. On Tuesday, she was mayor for the day.
For Pitre, 18, a recent graduate of Joseph A. Foran High School, it was not an easy goal, but two months made a huge difference.
When she was 16, she was diagnosed with Reflex Dystrophy Syndrome, a rare and progressively debilitating disease.
Pitre knows firsthand about immobility. She was confined to a wheelchair for about 18 months. She doesn't know how she acquired the disease, but two months ago it was at its worst. She could not move and the pain was so severe she would just "start screaming," she said. Her body would turn purple or gray and her skin was so cold it felt as if she were "sitting in ice."
"There is nothing they can do about it except intense physical therapy," Pitre said.
At her lowest point, she enrolled at the Connecticut Children's Medical Center for a grueling rehabilitation program, she said. Now she is able to walk and even run, but "I'll never go back to normal. I'll always be in pain," Pitre acknowledged.
Pitre said the disease came out of nowhere; the only warning sign was that her legs began to hurt. She was seen by a seemingly endless stream of doctors, all of whom misdiagnosed her condition.
But eventually, her condition was correctly assessed.
Once her mobility returned, Pitre returned this summer to her job at the East Shore Child Development Center, where she assists teachers. Pitre also kept busy by baby-sitting. On Tuesday, she was busy shadowing Mayor James L. Richetelli Jr.
"Her face lights up when she talks of helping kids," Richetelli said.
As mayor for a day, for which she was chosen by the Mayor's Commission for People with Disabilities, Pitre's first act was listening to a conversation about retirees' pension benefits.
Pitre noted she's unlikely to pursue a career in politics. Rather, Pitre said she wants to be a special education teacher or a therapist and will attend Gateway Community College this fall.
"Amanda is a picture of courage. She's got more power than I have. She's tough. She's smart and she's a great kid," said Joseph Della Monica Sr., a member of the mayor's committee for people with disabilities.
Pitre is pushing to ensure residents with special needs are able to access all public places. "Because you have a disability doesn't make you different," she said.
Richetelli added, "Amanda said it best: Any kid should be able to do anything they want to."
Richetelli said the mayor for a day program helps educate the public about challenges Pitre and other disabled residents must endure. Richetelli said the entire city is proud of Pitre and what she has overcome.
"It's a way of highlighting and accentuating the great things people with challenges do on a daily basis," Richetelli said of the program.
Pitre said she hopes her story will help others.
"Just because someone has a challenge or is in a wheelchair should not stop them from doing what they want to do," Pitre said. "If I was in a wheelchair and can't get into a building that is wrong."
Source
August 11, 2008 |
