As the automatic door slowly swung open to let us in, I knew I was stepping into a cozy home not just a house that had been modified to meet Jodi’s needs. Lighted scented candles dotted the house and tea boiled on the stove as we gathered in the living room on a dreary Wednesday morning to talk about Jodi’s official title as Ms. Wheelchair Indiana.
After the 25 cent tour of the house and all of its modifications, completed with the help of Easter Seals Crossroad’s own John Kelly, including an electric chair lift to take her up and down the stairs and a completely renovated bathroom and stove top, Jodi ushered us to the living room.
As soon as the conversation got going, I saw so much more than the sash and crown.
Diagnosed with Generalized Dystonia, Jodi Longman must use a wheelchair in order to get around. Her condition, which causes the muscles to spasm and contract involuntarily, leaves Jodi in immense pain that requires anywhere from three to 15 kinds of pain medications to treat, daily and has stripped her of her ability to walk.
However, the overwhelming pain and the tedious combination of medicine do not bring Jodi down. In fact, aside from the meds, Jodi finds alternative ways to deal with the constant reminder of her condition.
“Humor just works,” she said.
Finding the funny and looking for the happiness in every circumstance helps Jodi lead a full life. Luckily, she said, she has friends that have gone through major life altering events as well, such has having children with autism, that allow them to understand where Jodi is coming from and help her get through it, often times laughing with her not at her.
Jodi has not always known life in a wheelchair, formerly a theater junkie, avid performer and swing dance teacher, she never let Dystonia win, but that doesn’t mean being strong is easy.
“It’s the one part of my life I really do miss,” she said.
But for what Jodi can’t do anymore, she makes compensates for in her advocacy for those in the disabled community. After being different all her life, Jodi wants to make sure that kids, in particular, understand how important it is to love themselves, no matter what.
“I want them to embrace their uniqueness,” she said.
Being Ms. Wheelchair Indiana has allowed Jodi to become an advocate not only for others, but for herself as well. Speaking at various engagements around the city and visiting the classrooms of young children, Jodi has used the title to spread the word about including those with disabilities in daily life and eliminating the stigma so often associated with having a disability.
Her official reign will end in March, when she must pass on the crown to someone else, but I have a feeling her role as advocate and role model will not end there.