New York|Conquering Her Mobility Obstacles With an Upbeat Attitude
The Neediest Cases Fund
Conquering Her Mobility Obstacles With an Upbeat Attitude
Catherine Sanderson, 50, in front of her apartment building in Brooklyn.CreditCreditLaylah Amatullah Barrayn for The New York Times
By Lauren Hard
Catherine Sanderson was in her senior year of high school when she began to feel unsteady on her feet, preventing her from participating in some activities in gym class.
Ms. Sanderson had already been drinking for a few years to cope with stress in her family. And slowly, the lack of coordination worsened as she entered young adulthood.
"I would hit the side of the wall or something when I walked. And I wouldn't know why. But I was an alcoholic," said Ms. Sanderson, now 50. "I didn't care."
She graduated from high school and struggled with alcohol and drugs for several years until she decided she wanted to take control of her life and started to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in December 1990.
Ms. Sanderson's path to sobriety was not smooth, and her movement problems led her to begin using a cane in 1991. She struggled with staying sober until November 1993, when at age 26, she learned she had Friedreich's ataxia, a disease that causes movement problems and damage to the nervous system.
It was then that she decided she wanted to have a firmer grasp on her relationships with family members and her health. By 1994, she needed to use a walker and eventually had to be seated at all times.
Today, Ms. Sanderson said, she is in constant pain. Her feet hurt "95 percent of the time," she said, describing the sensation as moving from numbness to sharp pain. She uses an electric scooter to make her way around Brooklyn. On her lap is her service dog for stress and anxiety, Pretti Pebbles.
Ms. Sanderson with her service dog, Pretti Pebbles.CreditLaylah Amatullah Barrayn for The New York Times
Without the scooter, said Ms. Sanderson on a recent rainy afternoon in her South Slope apartment building, she would not be able to attend numerous doctor appointments every week or visit her father, for whom she helps coordinates care, in a nearby nursing home three times a week.
Ms. Sanderson's resolve in getting around was tested this year when her scooter began losing power every two to three blocks. Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens, one of the eight organizations directly supported by The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund, used $2,988 from the fund in September to provide Ms. Sanderson with a new motorized scooter.
Now she can travel miles.
Before her disease prevented her from walking, Ms. Sanderson earned a bachelor's degree from St. Francis College in Brooklyn, as well as a master's degree from Brooklyn College in education and a master's from Yeshiva University in social work. She said she uses her background in social work to help coordinate care for an uncle in Hawaii.
Ms. Sanderson said she did not enjoy school when she was younger, but had a change of heart once she performed better while pursuing more advanced degrees.
Ms. Sanderson has a bachelor's and two master's degrees, one in education and one in social work.CreditLaylah Amatullah Barrayn for The New York Times
"It's funny because when you're younger, you hate school. Then I started loving school. Once I pulled those A's, I demanded those A's," she said. "Anything less I would be so upset."
As her health deteriorated in her mid-30s, Ms. Sanderson left her job at a substance abuse counseling center. She receives $1,009 each month in Social Security disability and $194 in food stamps, and lives at the Bishop Boardman Apartments as a result of winning a housing lottery run by Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens, which also helped her secure the assistance of home health aides.
While the scooter keeps Ms. Sanderson mobile, it is her upbeat attitude and perspective that keep her pushing forward.
Ms. Sanderson marked 24 years of sobriety on Nov. 10. While she attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for 20 years, she stopped in 2013. She continues, though, to live by the principles she learned in the program, like taking her life one day at a time. Having friends who are also in recovery and repeat the mantras like "Think before you act" help her stay on course.
The lively front door to Ms. Sanderson's home.CreditLaylah Amatullah Barrayn for The New York Times
Her penchant for inspirational phrases is evident on the colorful door to her apartment. Among the Betty Boop decorations and purple and white artificial flowers are the words "Do not dare be sour, clap for a new day and feel the power" in pink glitter stickers.
The quote refers to the lively entrance the three members of New Day make into the ring during World Wrestling Entertainment matches. Their bellowing delivery evokes a Southern Baptist minister with a message of positivity.
For Ms. Sanderson, watching WWE shows is a favorite pastime and brings back memories of regularly attending professional wrestling events as a child at Madison Square Garden with her brother and mother, who died several years ago.
Ms. Sanderson also enjoys dining with friends at TGI Fridays and seeing movies like "It" at a theater in Sheepshead Bay, activities made easier with her new red scooter.
"Independence," she said, "is extremely important."
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A version of this article appears in print on , Section A, Page 13 of the New York edition with the headline: Despite Pain, Conquering Her Mobility Obstacles With an Upbeat Attitude. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe