Karen Hutchins Pirnot

As I Am, a True Story of Adaptation to Physical Disability Karen Hutchins Pirnot

In a single moment in time, four year old Garret Frey was transformed from an active and energetic four-year-old to a quadriplegic, ventilator-dependent boy who struggled to make sense of a world in disarray. For seven years, Garret worked with Clinical Psychologist Dr. Karen Pirnot as Garret learned that his mental powers could help compensate for the loss of body function. As I Am details the struggles of Garret's mother to advocate for a "normal," childhood education for her son in the city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In order to be afforded a stimulating learning environment in the least restrictive environment, Garret's legal case went through a lengthy court process, ending in his appearance before the Justices of the United States Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruling in Garret's favor set precedence for access to public education for thousands of handicapped children throughout the nation.