I raise my eyes to say yes
1954
- 4 years old - could laugh, coo, sigh, and scream - created her system of communication - smiling for yes, frowning for no, using vocals and facial expressions. - sister marie was born
Goldy
- Ruth's first friend at Belchertown when she arrived
Arrival and departure from Crotched Mountain
- arrived October 1956 (6 years old) - left March 1960
Wessie
- fed ruth properly - Ruth's favorite attendant
Diane
- from ward 1 - had spina bifida and was affected from the waist down, but could use crutches - Bob helped her break out of her shell - ended up living with her
1962
- home from Crotched Mountain for 2 years - psychological testing by Dr. Scherer in Springfield - arrival at Belchertown state school - May 14, 1962
Theresa and April
- inseparable friends at Belchertown
5 years old (1955)
- mother in hospital with slipped disk - arrived at Lakeville January 1956
20 years (1970)
- stopped using diapers - Speech clinic opened
1953
- three years old - family moved to Springfield
Ward 4
- younger teenage girls - most suffered physical handicap mental retardation - some inflicted physical harm on selves - straight jackets.
Ruth's fever reached ________ degrees after her surgery
104 - stayed on critical list at the infirmary for next 15 months
Ruth spent ____ years at Belchertown state school
16
Ruth stay at Lakeville was terminated after ___ months
2
How old was Ruth when she was taken out of diapers
20 years
How old was Ruth when she moved to the adult ward
24
Ruth was moved to ward ___ in June 1963
3
How much did Ruth weigh after being at Belchertown for 4 months?
30 pounds
What was Ruth's birthweight
6.3 pounds
Who began the speech, hearing, and language center at the state school?
Ed Herbert 1970
April 14, 1967
Ruth broke her leg bc Rosa dropped her on the chair bed - had to be put in a cast from her chest down - feverish for three month - Roseanne and Margaret took care of her afterwards in infirmary
13 months
Ruth got encephalitis
May 1975
Ruth leaves the infirmary and moves to a building names Tadgell then moved to Alpha house
1978
Ruth moved to Linden Towers
August 8, 1998
Ruth passes away at age 47
Donna
Ruth taught her to communicate
Jimmy Saywich
Ruth's boyfriend at Crotched Mountain
Carol
Ruth's friend in ward 3 - paralyzed from waist down
Ruth's birthday
September 23, 1950 in Northampton MA
Ruth's friend and co-author
Steve Kaplan
What did Ruth play during the Christmas pageant
an angel
Encephalitis
inflammation of the brain usually caused by a virus - fever - caused Ruth's cerebral palsy - damaged her brain
Ruth was crushed when ______ stopped working at the state school
Bob - a therapist that worked there - Ruth had a crush on
Hospital Ruth was born in
Cooley Dickinson Hospital
Ruth was examined by Dr. _____________ at her arrival at Belchertown
Dr. Soong
F.R.E.E.
Fundamental Right to Equal Education
Karen Foley
Gifted Ruth her favorite doll Gretel for her 10th birthday
Ruth's parents names
Marian and Charles
Ruth's sister born in March 1954
Marie
Ruth's best friend after her leg was broken was
Mary Lou - Wessie's daughter
took ruth christmas shopping
Michelle
Ruth's husband
Norman Mercer
Ruth and others worked with ________ _____________ in the F.R.E.E. program after leaving Belchertown
Paul Shelton
attendant that talked like a sailor
Rosa
September 1980
Ruth and Norman got married
Terry
blind girl arrived at the ward in summer of 1965 - could not speak but made sounds - close relationship with Diane
1965
changes in the ward - five new workers - ruth met Wessie and Hazel - Wessie noticed that Ruth raised her eyes to say yes - spent a week in summer at crystal lake in Ct with family
Nana Christine
close, fed her
1989
commonwealth of MA announced that Belchertown would close by 1993
Spring 1971, Kathy and Howard developed a ______________________ for Ruth
communication board
Dr. Soong prescribed _______________ to help Ruth gain weight
eggnog
how much weight Ruth lost after Bob left
eleven pounds
Attendants Alice and Rita spoke ______________ Ruth called a "vacation for her ears"
french
Theresa Ladue
girl in bed next to Ruth in Ward 4 - also had cerebral palsy and was very similar to Ruth - communicated with each other - became best friends
Friends of Belchertown
group of parents and relatives of residents pressured authorities to improve conditions at the state school
Ruth wanted her sister to wash her doll's
hair
Ruth lived in the ______________ at the B state school
infirmary
What did Ruth do that finally made the attendants reconsider her label as mentally retarded?
laughed at their joke
1963
moved to ward 3 in June - the children's ward
quadrapeligic
paralysis affects all four limbs
Cerebral palsy
permanent movement disorder - poor coordination - stiffened muscle movement - problems with speaking
PCA
personal care attendant
Howard
recent college grad taught at the state school
Ruth loved to watch
soap operas
1971
speech therapists hired - Ruth began working on communication at the Communication resource center (speech, hearing, and learning center) - Ruth tries first communication board
Ruth began using the Tufts Interactive Communicator (TIC) to ___________
spell
Initial Teaching Alphabet (ITA)
system made of 44 graphemes, one for each sound in english language
The girls on ward 3 were placed in __________________ as a form of socialization
the box - boxed in area, Ruth overall did not like it - did not like being placed in the box with the thrashers or rollers