Hear DeWanna Christian’s Courageous Story of Vocational Rehabilitation, Surviving Meningitis and Living to Excel as a Rehabilitation Professional.
Rick Sizemore is the Director of the Wilson Workforce and Rehabilitation Center Rick’s Contact info: rick.sizemore@wwrc.virginia.gov @rickwwrc   540-332-7214.
Anne Hudlow is the Director of the WWRC Foundation. Anne’s Contact info: annehudlow@comcast.net or WWRCF.org.
For more information on emergency preparedness visit http://www.vaemergency.gov/or https://www.fema.gov/nd
Chip Stratton is the Director of Safety and Risk Management at WWRC and is available at chip.stratton@wwrc.virginia.gov .
DeWanna Christian is available at dewanna.christian@wwrc.virginia.gov .
Special thanks for Sally Murphy (vocals) and Richard Adams (recording and production) of the VR Workforce Jingle, composed by Rick Sizemore.
Transcript for DeWanna Christian
This is the VR Workforce Studio: Inspiration, Education and Affirmation “AT WORK.”  The workforce and disability employment podcast from the Wilson Workforce and Rehabilitation Center, A Division of the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Service. The VR Workforce Studio is published by our foundation at wwrcf.org and is available in iTunes and at vrworkforcestudio.com. You are listening to the vrworkforcestudio.
I looked like I had been in a fire. My fingers had shriveled up. So I had… so initially they thought they were going to do umm… amputations, like at the ankles, umm… but then infection set in, so then they had to go, you know, just below the knee. I guess I see them as challenges and I don’t really dwell on them that much so I can’t really pinpoint, but I can tell you there’s challenges every day.
VR Workforce Studio
Music Transition
Rick: On today’s episode of the VR Workforce studio in our big inspiration showcase, the amazing story of DeWanna Christian. Hi, I’m Rick Sizemore, director of the Wilson Workforce and Rehabilitation Center.
Anne: And I’m Anne Hudlow, director of the WWRC Foundation, and together, we are opening up the VR Workforce Studio so individuals with disabilities can share their courageous stories of vocational rehabilitation. Along the way, we talk with the champions of business and industry that hire individuals with disabilities.
Rick: And the vocational rehabilitation professionals that have dedicated their lives and careers to helping individuals with disabilities to go to work. And today Anne, I’m so excited. DeWanna Christian is here. Her story will leave you spellbound. Meningitis as a teenager; multiple, radical surgeries required to really save her life. She’s a double amputee, works from a wheelchair and we have her here to hear her amazing story of going to college, learning to drive, and a great career that’s really resulted in being her dream job. Also on today’s program, Chip Stratton joins us in the VR briefing room, after our interview with DeWanna. He is a safety and risk management expert trainer. He’ll be talking with us about emergency preparedness at work and at home for individuals with disabilities. DeWanna Christian leads the Rehabilitation Counseling Division at the Wilson Workforce and Rehabilitation Center, is a certified rehabilitation counselor, holds a Master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University. DeWanna, welcome to the program.
DeWanna: Thank you.
Anne: DeWanna, you are very successful, but I know that that path to success was not an easy one. Our stories are mainly about disability employment. Can you tell us how you became disabled?
DeWanna: I was a senior in high school and there was an approaching holiday, Valentine’s Day,