ownersbanner [clearpixel.gif] [clearpixel.gif] [clearpixel.gif] [clearpixel.gif] Visiting with Dr. Stephen Hawking by Terri Rozaieski It wasnt long ago that I and my husband, Mike Rozaieski, Quantum Rehab Product Manager, found ourselves on a plane bound for England with the goal of meeting up with the Pride U.K. Team to deliver and complete the fine-tuning of Dr. Stephen Hawkings Quantum Jazzy 1400 Power Chair. This is my attempt to sum up that incredible experience. I dont think I can begin to explain to you my excitement at being a part of this project but I must begin by saying that it exists on many levels. There are a few points that stand out above all others. Terry-with-DrH First, speaking for all the members of Team Pride, nothing can compare to knowing how the Quantum Jazzy 1400 will impact Dr. Hawkings life. ( Please click here to read of my original meeting with Dr. Hawking and for a summary of his Quantum Jazzy 1400s many capabilities). To know that Dr. Hawkings life will be made easier and his independence more profound is, for each of us, to feel incredible satisfaction. I dont think I, or anyone at Pride, will ever hear that Dr. Hawking has given a lecture, participated in a book signing, or spent a pleasurable evening strolling around Cambridge with his family without feeling honored and humbled by our part in that. Second, having met and spent time with Dr. Hawking, I have found that my predisposed ideas of the lives of those who spend a great deal of time in the spotlight have all but faded away. It was my belief that, simply based on his fame and notoriety, Dr. Hawkings life, with regard to accessibility issues, was somehow easier than my own. I found that it is not. Dr. Hawking faces and contends daily with those same issues of concern to I and thousands of others with disabilitiesrough or non-existent curb cuts, lights at street crossings that change quickly, and unfair and unrealistic stereotypes. It is this realization that brought me home with a new and heartfelt respect and dedication for what we do here at Pride. We make products to combat those thingsfor people like Dr. Hawking who are well-known and for people like me who are notin the hopes of making a statement that barriers and limitations will not dictate the future of those with disabilities and mobility impairments. And lastlya point upon which I must elaborate To simply have met Dr. Hawking, one of my heroes, is, of itself, one of my most treasured memories. What began as an expectation of meeting one of the most brilliant men of all time was soon lost in the realization of meeting a man who is far more complex than to be defined by his intelligence only. Dr. Hawking is, without a doubt, brilliant. But he is also warm, gracious, caring, enthusiastic, accommodating, attentive and funny Hawking-on-roof-8-01 There are two stories in particular that I can relate of my time with Dr. Hawking that will stay with me forever and that, I believe, say a tremendous amount about the person that he is. One is of a humorous naturethat I definitely should have seen coming (smile)and the other is of a far more personal nature and that I wasnt expecting at all. On our final day with Dr. Hawking, I scouted the Mathematics Building at Cambridge University for the perfect backdrop for publicity photos. Having found a chalkboard in a hallway, covered with an intricate and detailed mathematical equation, I approached Dr. Hawking. Stephen (as I was asked by Dr. Hawking to address him), I think this would be the perfect spot for a few pictures but I have to ask you one thing. Can you look over the equation and make sure its correct? Because if I publish a picture of you in front of that board and its not correct, Im going to get letters frall over the globe saying How dare you insult Dr. Stephen Hawking by photographing him in front of an incorrect equation? I mean, Id check them myself but, hey, its all Greek to me! To which Dr. Hawking, glancing at the myriad symbols, with more than a hint of dry sarcasm, replied, It is Greek, Terri. To which I offered the most witty and eloquent retort available to me at the time, Um, yeah. I guess it is. (blush!) And As we were about to depart Cambridge for the last time, Dr. Hawking asked to speak with me privately. He took a moment to thank me for assisting him in acquiring his chair and then he said something relative to a bit of news of which I wasnt even sure he was aware. Earlier in the day, I had told Dr. Hawkings wife, Elaine, that Mike and I had recently found out we were expecting our first child (which may also be news to some of you reading this!). Elaine then later, at lunch, reminded me to eat well for the little one. At that time, Dr. Hawking said nothing yet, as I was to learn, he had filed this information away and was waiting for just the right moment, and perhaps the right words, to speak. It was during our private time together later that afternoon that Dr. Hawking said to me, It might seem awkward being a disabled parent but I did not find it so. Children accept as natural that you are in a wheelchair. Ask for their help. Dont worry. Just make them part of the family team. I remember thinking how insightful of Dr. Hawking. He could have spoken mere pleasantries regarding the weather and such or discussed the upcoming release of his new book. Yet, he chose to address the one thing that he intuitively knew was weighing very heavily on my mind. Ive received a tremendous amount of parenting advice over the last few months but I believe it was Dr. Hawkings words that meant the most. He spoke from the heart, from his own experience, and most important of all, he most surely understood my need, not to be Super Mom, proving my ability to raise a child despite the barriers of a disability, but, rather, to be simply the best mom I can possibly be, raising a child, yesin blissful normalcy, without regard to disability at all. It is these two experiences that I will remember above the others. Two simple exchanges that determined the transition from the meeting of Dr. Hawking, theoretical physicist, to the meeting of Stephen, my friend. I am forever grateful for the passage. Please click here for excerpts from my time spent with Dr. Hawking and his reflections on a variety of subjects, including his new Quantum Jazzy 1400. Please click here for access to Dr. Hawkings personal web site, courtesy of Cambridge University. (the link is http://www.hawking.org.uk) Please click here for access to The Stephen Hawking Pages, a web site featuring a vast amount of information on Dr. Hawking, including some of his most famous speeches and interviews. (the link is http://www.psyclops.com/hawking) Please click here for credits and our most profound thanks.