Tracee Garner

Age 38, Muscular Dystrophy
Photographed by Amelia and Katie Schmid, The Pinwheel Collective
As a social worker, I advocate on behalf of people with disabilities, their families and caregivers in the area. I was diagnosed at age 2 with Muscular Dystrophy, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, don’t ask me what type because it’s a useless number! Due to my parent’s long term marriage of over forty years, I found writing about romance and love as a tribute to them. I write about love, finding it, losing it, but always finding it again and I give my characters adversity that exists in real life, but overcoming, triumphing and shining to meet, eventually, what’s called the HEA = Happy Ever After.
God blessed me with much but especially my love for reading and my divine inspiration to write. Writing has grown so much for me into speaking, writing fiction/non-fiction, inspiring and motivating others through the written and spoken word. I face challenges and I face attitudinal barriers every single day. My sense of faith has aided me with my optimistic outlook. The Parable of the Talents isn’t only about what we do with all that the Master has entrusted to us; it’s about doing the very best with whatever you have. This embodies who I am. For me, doing much (as much as I possibly can) with whatever I have and my abilities are. I will do that and I will, for as long as I can, do even more.