Elevate your Thinking: Changing Disabilities to Abilities with Attitude, Determination, and Appreciation

Robert Hale was born with a mystery disorder. A stick-skinny boy with digestion problems and night blindness, doctors didn’t know what was wrong. When the tremors began, Robert enrolled in clinical research at Oregon Health & Science University. It was a year of medical mysteries solved, nurse crushes, and first experiences. With a name for his disorder, abetalipoproteinemia, and treatment that curbed some of its neurological characteristics, Robert set out to find his destiny. But he had no idea what lay ahead. As his vision faded, employment and fatherhood brought challenge and heartbreak. Using a cane, then a walker, and finally a wheelchair in a world built for people who walk and see, Robert’s trials were great. But his determination to find happiness was greater. From a year of interviews with medical anthropologist Raina Croff, PhD, Robert’s story of hope beyond hardship shines through his appreciation, determination, and positive attitude.