Editor’s note: The author’s sister, Shirley Anne Roeger, was a member of Toledo St. Joan of Arc and died June 25. The work of The JOY People, the group she formed, is now under the umbrella of Equal Access Ministries of the Diocese of Toledo.

My older sister was born prematurely with cerebral palsy in 1935. In those days, diagnosis was not what it is today. My parents were told to institutionalize her and forget her. They chose to love and raise her as best they could.

Shirley Anne Roeger, a member of Toledo St. Joan of Arc who died June 25, founded the JOY People as a retreat group for the elderly and disabled.

Cerebral palsy is a condition, rather than a disease, caused by damage to the brain stem, which results in spastic movements of the muscles. There are ranges of disability. Shirley Anne’s disability was pretty severe, affecting both speech and general mobility.

Along with her disability came well above-average intelligence and a strong genetic portion of the family German determination, which some would call stubbornness. When I came along eight years later, she was determined to walk before me. A sturdy pair of Oxfords from Uncle Ed’s country store made this possible. Braces were prescribed much later. She was able to walk with help until about her college years, when a wheelchair became necessary.

My parent’s determination provided her with a good education. Grade school was at a special school, but Mom wanted her to be able to attend a public high school. She was the first disabled person to graduate from John Marshall High School in Cleveland. Upon our move to Toledo, she enrolled at University of Toledo. Before the invention of photocopying, she managed her studies by borrowing notes from her classmates. My mother, younger sister, and I divided up the task of copying them by hand.

At university she mastered typing on a manual, portable typewriter by striking the key with the eraser end of a pencil. She spent many 12-hour days completing her papers one finger at a time. In addition, she had a reading problem because the movements of her head made her lose her place on the page. Completing assignments was a full-time job.

She was the first disabled graduate (magna cum laude) of UT. The advent of photocopiers made graduate school notes easier; but paper writing and reading remained challenging. She completed a master’s in sociology and later a degree in religion from Lourdes College.

Her speech difficulties and erratic motions made employment elusive. She did research for people and worked for a time at the now defunct Conlin Center, at Goodwill and at the Ability Center. When Mom reached 70 and showed signs of not being able to care for her, Shirley Anne signed herself into a group home. A few years later she had a handicap-equipped apartment through Lucas County Housing. She truly valued her years of independent living.

Our mom was an artist. With three kids to care for, she had us draw as soon as we could hold a pencil. Shirley Anne’s artistic ability was later expressed on the typewriter — one finger at a time. She created incredible ASCII art — on machines progressing from a non-electric typewriter through electric versions and finally to early computers with dot matrix printers.

In 1983 she asked Father Nicholas Weibl, now pastor of Fostoria St. Wendelin, if he would help her start a retreat group for the elderly and disabled. “The JOY People” name was given to the group because, as Shirley said, people who have Christ in their hearts experience great joy. The word “Joy” stands for “Jesus, Others and You.” “The JOY People” grew from about 10 people to 100 regulars and countless other people who helped with transportation and monetary or other gifts. The format is a simple one. Those in need meet those who can help and there is an attempt to obtain spirit-filled speakers who give participants something to take home for the dark moments.

Dan Bowles, a helper with the JOY People said of Shirley Anne: “There’s no one like her; she’s always thinking of someone else, trying to help them make a better life with a disability. She knows connections. If she weren’t pushy, she wouldn’t be so successful. Every day she chooses to do what is difficult; she doesn’t seem to be phased by disabilities. She never gives up. If you have someone with a talent to offer, Shirley will tap it.”

One priest described Shirley as “ruling the world while tethered to her bed.”

Larry King, my sister’s longtime friend, is one of many examples of the value of the retreats. He had polio at age six and had never been away from home. The JOY People retreats allowed him to experience independence for the first time.

For the most part the retreatants are physically impaired adults from the ages of about 25-80. They are victims of many maladies such as multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, polio, stroke, vision-impairments, hearing-impairments, amputations, and brain trauma injuries. They range from being totally self-sufficient to those needing full-care in a nursing home. Some are employed; others are retired or on government assistance. If people cannot afford the cost of the weekend, they are still encouraged to come and to participate.

The helpers are made up of some professional care-givers, a few disabled people capable of helping others, and willing laypeople who set aside their normal activities for the weekend to assist the disabled in any way needed. There are three registered nurses who volunteer their time to dispense medication and be available for medical emergencies, but they jump in and do the dirty work too. No one (disabled or able-bodied) has come away without feeling rewarded for having attended the retreat.

A broken back terminated the dream of independent living for Shirley Anne. She moved to Spring Meadows Extended Care Facility, where she lived for about 18 years (the longest resident of the home). Her muscles grew tired from more than 70 years of spastic motions. About eight years ago she found she could no longer swallow, so she had the first of two feeding tubes installed.

For years she continued to write an inspirational monthly newsletter, with the help of her angels who provided the necessary hands. Until the final months of her life, she still knew at least as much about the world around her as I did. She kept me posted on local and national news which she gathered from the TV, her constant companion. The work of The JOY People continues under the leadership of friends.

I struggled with the sense of tragedy about her very capable mind imprisoned in an increasingly helpless body while her spirit remained vibrant. I often met her in the ER where she was lying on a gurney with blood being pumped from her ulcerated stomach, as she fired jokes at the medics until their laughter interfered with the performance of their tests.

At the age of 76, after a few months of rapid decline, she quietly slipped away on June 25. She was tired and wanted to go home. At her memorial reception, the room was filled with the angels who had helped her and were inspired by her. As they shared memories of her incredibly rich and meaningful life, I, who had been so close to her final suffering, was uplifted.

My sister has been a life lesson for me. Our relationship was not always rosy. Our equal shares of the family stubbornness sometimes locked horns. But I realize that in our adult lives she provided more emotional support for me than any other family member.

We are all subject at our birth to disabilities and limitations, most not as visible and obvious as my sister’s. Shirley Anne has taught me how much we can overcome them, even if it is one finger at a time.

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The next JOY People retreat is April 28-29 at Widewater Retreat Center in Liberty Center. For more information, contact Marsha Rivas in the Equal Access Ministries office, 419-244-6711, ext. 528, TTY: 419-243-1475 or mrivas@toledodiocese.org.