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