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The titles represent the board position each Mother held at the time she resigned from the board of directors. We own them all a great debt of thanks.
Judith Lerner, one of the original Mothers From Hell, died on May 24, 2006 after battling ovarian cancer. She was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1948 and married Robert Roth in 1978. She is survived by Robert and two beautiful daughters, Rebecca and Susan.
Judith became involved in the original Mothers From Hell in Eugene, OR in 1994. She was a Mother From Hell in the truest sense. But it wasn’t really about fighting. It was about advocating, about passion and about love. Judith was passionate about helping those who didn’t have a voice or whose voice had trouble being heard - especially by those who couldn’t seem to get their fingers out of their ears. She was a lawyer specializing in special needs law in Eugene. It was Judith’s expertise in law that was the guiding force in creating nonprofit status for the Mothers From Hell. That effort took us from being an ad hoc group of potluckers to a bonafide organization that could accept grant money and keep growing. It was Judith who was instrumental in transferring that status to Mothers From Hell 2 (so go ahead, donate generously, largely thanks to Judith it’s tax deductible!).
Judith was absolutely amazing. She was a true example of how one woman could make a difference. She was able to get a street light installed at a dangerous intersection where special needs kids had to cross the street. She called city officials. She spoke at hearinigs. She wrote letters. She got the job done. She found time to be a Campfire leader. Her oldest daughter Becca has Down Syndrome. Her troop put on beautiful plays, went on field trips and had a lot of fun. And yes, Judith even had to fight for the status of her "special" troop... but that’s another story. One of Judith’s favorite projects was a developmental awareness curriculum for schools. She knew that it was by educating others, especially children, we could increase the likelihood of acceptance and inclusion of those with disabilities in our communities.
Judith contributed many excellent articles to the Brimstone Bulletin, often urging others to take action. She had a wicked sense of humor and didn’t mind sharing it. It was Judith who pushed hard for the addition of "Fames" to the "Shames" column, a regular feature in the Brimstone. Ar first we were unsure about this change, but this was a decision none of us ever regretted. To focus on shame can, in a way, make it stronger. By evening things out as we did when we took Judth’s suggestion and added fames as a regular part of the column, we brought more courage and balance to our publication. Thank you, Judith, for this insight.
So... Fame, Fame, Fame to Judith Lerner, whose combustible humor and sentiment, advocacy work and strength, was a gift to us all. Mothers From Hell salutes you!
By Elizabeth King Gerlach
Elizabeth King Gerlach is the former editor of the Brimstone Bulletin.
Elizabeth King Gerlach
Under construction
Dear Members of MFH2,
It has been rewarding beyond measure to participate in the “rebirth” of the Mothers From Hell into the Mothers From Hell 2. The feedback I have received from many of you has been incredible. However, after many difficult years both personally and professionally I feel that it is now time for me to move on and let the organization grow under new leadership.
My resignation as president of MFH2 is effective September 12, 2005. It is my greatest hope that Mothers From Hell 2 will revisit its roots and again provide humor as a coping mechanism for parents of children with disabilities as the organization’s primary focus. Providing information and advocacy is also necessary, but MFH2 must always remember where its base comes from. The current board is comprised of some fantastic ladies & I am sure they will be good stewards of the unique organization that is MFH2.
Oh, I’ll be lurking about; perhaps eventually even submitting an article or two. But, for now I will just say thank you all and keep being Mothers From Hell (2)!!
Beth Randall PS – When you miss me more than you can bear, or are really bored, you can always see what I’m up to at: www.crittercamp.biz & www.dreamscapepaintings.com
Cathy lives in Massachusetts with her husband and teenaged son. Her son was born with multiple disabilities. He has been receiving medical and special education services since he was very young, which means she has been dealing with educators, doctors, a variety of service providers and many ignorant people for a very long time (though she does must admit she found many gems among the rubble). Being oppositional by nature, having a bizarre sense of humor and hating to lose at anything, Cathy tends to feed off even the negative experiences and find a perverse sense of enjoyment in the fight, particularly when her opponent is forced to back down.
She is a Systems Advocate at her local Independent Living Center (and no, this isn’t an assisted living place; it’s organization that exists to empower people with disabilities by providing information, skills and advocacy so people can live as independently as possible). She works a lot with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504, special education, other disability rights and low-tech assistive technology. She often give presentations on these subjects. Cathy is also a member of Educational Advocates of Southeastern Mass and a Board Member of the regional ADA & Accessible IT Center.
Past Vice President: Tonya Hettler
Tonya has been married to a West Texas farmer for 17 years and their family consists of two young boys who attend a small, rural school, and two dogs.
When their son was suspended from Kindergarten for behavior issues she had to quickly learn about his disability, what therapies and agencies were available to help him, and the laws to make it all happen. Making it happen is how she earned the name of “Evil Twin” as my mentor already had taken the title of Mother from Hell and wouldn’t give it up.
As a result of the challenges her family faced, she became an advocate for children with special interests in Autism, Behavior and Positive Behavior Support. To achieve this, she ran a local support group, maintains a regional information list http://groups.yahoo.com/group/w-i-n, serves on several boards, advisory committees, and participate in coalitions that range from the local level to national, attend numerous educational conferences along with the professionals who serve our children, and network, network, network.
Helping others is her way of saying "Thank You" to the people who helped her in our time of need.
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