BRANDIE'S STORY

Let me first start out by saying I don't believe there is really anyone entirely "normal." Everyone has their own challenges to overcome, and a person can rise up and meet those challenges, and become a better stronger person fully participating in life, or they can sit back and cry and complain, wasting their limited time on earth.

I was born in New Haven, CT but mostly grew up in Winsted, CT. I went to public school, took dance classes, played soccer and softball, and was a Girl Scout. I couldn't have done any of this without a lot of support from my family. Growing up, I seldom heard the phrase, "you can't do that." I wasn't raised to make excuses, but to always do the best I could. Kids are remarkably curious, and often asked questions about my oversized hearing aide pinned to my shirt, or why my head was shaved and my mouth was wired shut after one of my surgeries. I was a little bit shy about answering other kids questions sometimes, but found that if I was upfront and non confrontational they just accepted me for who I was and saw me as just another kid rather than that girl that looked kind of funny.

In high school I played soccer, ran track, skied, and played the alto saxophone in the band. My hearing aide was a bit of a pain sometimes because they can't get wet. And let me tell you, it rained plenty when I would play soccer. But rather than stand on the sidelines with an umbrella, I just took it off and adapted. My teammates were awesome and adapted as well by waving their hands to get my attention. My senior year I was accepted early decision to Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) and graduated in the top ten percent of my class of 1997.

MMA is a very unique college because it is paramilitary and students follow a regimented lifestyle. MMA was a challenge because I wanted to earn my Coast Guard License and get my 3rd mates license. Besides the obvious challenges of being on a ship and constantly exposing my hearing aide to water, it also meant I would have to get a waiver and prove that my hearing would not prevent me from fulfilling my duties on the bridge of a ship. I think that my classmates and officers probably had their doubts about how well I could stack up to those without hearing problems, but by the end of the first week of boot camp I'm pretty sure I laid all their doubts to rest. I almost felt like I had an unfair advantage because I was used to overcoming obstacles and proving myself to people! I played softball, was a cadet officer in the marching band, sailed thousands of miles to exotic ports of call, and after four intense years I graduated valedictorian.

I was disappointed that I couldn't join the Coast Guard because of my hearing loss, but I didn't feel sorry for myself for long. Instead, I accepted a job at the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA), now renamed the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) where I work with nautical charts. I am very happy living in the D.C. area, and have once again found a wonderful group of friends.

My goals for this program are twofold. First, I hope to bring attention to the needs of kids and families dealing with the effects of Agent Orange. I want all people affected by Agent Orange to have a network of people to lean on for support. Because it is not only the costs they might need help with; they might have a lot of questions about health care, doctors, and how Agent Orange will affect their lives and future generations to come. Second, I want the government to take more responsibility, remember, and learn from what happened with Agent Orange so a similar situation does not occur again. Ignoring Agent Orange and its effects is a poor tribute to the patriotic men and women who were simply serving their country and following orders.