By now you’ve probably seen Mrs. Ann Jennings in her wheelchair, and wondered how she got into that situation. The story began in July when she was attending a conference to help her advance in the Longwood School Librarianship Program. Taking a fall down the stairs, Jennings ended up severely breaking her fibula and dislocated her ankle. After a whirlwind few days in the hospital, ten screws in her leg, and a surgery under her belt, Jennings learned she would have to be in a wheelchair for several months. “Even after I knew I would be in a wheelchair…I was determined to not let that stop me from teaching at the beginning of August,” she said.

Jennings had to learn to adapt teaching duties — making lesson plans and presenting them, going to the teacher workroom to make photocopies, going to and from the mailroom – and do them all from a wheelchair.  The first task was actually finding a wheelchair. Jennings had rented a manual chair, but knew that just wouldn’t work while maneuvering through such a huge school. Luckily, her father-in-law had a motorized chair he was able to lend her.

With the help of her husband, Russ (who teaches agriculture here at FCHS), Jennings set up her class so she was able to wheel around to every desk. Although she celebrated the victory of figuring out the configuration to her classroom, she knew it would still be a challenge. “Even though I can maneuver to each student in the room, it’s not as easy as walking to a person’s desk,” said Jennings.

Then came the next challenge: how to break the ice and explain her situation to her new students. Jennings showed her students the chair’s zero turn radius, made jokes, and beeped its horn as she backed up. “Mrs. Jennings takes her situation really well. She likes to joke around about it all, but be sure to watch where your toes are,” said Matt Rafaly, one of her students.

Jennings has been able learn incredible life lessons from her time spent in the wheelchair including a new empathy for people with disabilities. “There are little struggles that I never knew came with being in a wheelchair, from my experience, anyway.  For instance, sitting all day is literally a pain in the back! Also, doing just about anything takes extra time, effort, and thought,” said Jennings.

Things which used to be simple like moving from a chair to the couch have become tasks that take forethought and concerted effort. This situation has given Jennings a new way to look at life. She now appreciates how simple things can be. When her days seem difficult because of her lack of mobility, she reminds herself that her time in a wheelchair is only temporary, and that that is not true for everyone.

What is next for Jennings? She has started physical therapy and will soon be walking with a cane. Her journey with her foot is not quite over, but she looks forward to walking without it hurting, or being tired after only a few minutes. Don’t worry: with all the strength she’s already shown, that day will soon come for Jennings.