Meet UNC Anthropology Student Lucinda

Planning and problem solving are key to reaching goals and doing what she loves.

​

---

Hi, my name is Lucinda (named after my French great-great grandmother!), and I am 23 years old. I live in warm, sunny North Carolina with my family and my adorable service dog, which is a fantastic improvement from the bitter cold of my previous homes in the northern states. I love it here!

I use mechanical ventilation for breathing assistance because of my respiratory insufficiency related to a condition called Nemaline Myopathy, a congenital muscle disorder. In total, I use the ventilator for about 14 hours a day, normally. However, this has not stopped me from pursuing my dream of attending a university nor has it stopped me from doing many of the things I love!

I am currently studying Anthropology at the University of North Carolina (UNC), in Charlotte. What the heck is Anthropology, you ask? Anthropology is the study of most everything relating to humans and non-human primates.  It is the crossroads of history, literature, natural science, and social science; all favorite topics of mine bundled into one major! The pandemic has allowed me the opportunity to attend my UNC classes from home but I will have to work through the logistics of being on-campus for classes once this pandemic is better controlled.

I previously earned a degree in Graphic Design and Communications, since my main interest area when I graduated high school was art and design. My love of drawing is what originally led me to pursue that degree, and I am currently using my graphic design skills to work on projects for non-profit organizations, such as those serving the congenital muscle disease community. I still love sketching and making digital artwork in my free-time.

​I have many hobbies and interests that keep me busy. For example, I love animals, dogs in particular, and I’m lucky enough to have one as my service animal, named Twix!  She is a mobility assistance service dog, so she can help me with things, such as picking items up from the floor, bringing things to me, putting items into the trash or a laundry basket, and opening doors, to name a few.  She is extraordinarily intelligent and sweet. Even when she is not performing assistance tasks for me, she simply brings so much joy to my day just by being in my life.

Another hobby of mine is reading and collecting books. In fact, I have such a substantial collection of books you might consider me a biblioholic! To date I have read 500+ books! Sadly, I don’t have room to keep them all with me, so I’ve donated and sold a ton of them. My favorite genres are memoir/biography, historical fiction, and sic-fi/fantasy.

Craft-making, loom knitting, and crocheting are also activities that I enjoy doing in my free time. I’ve built a working robotic arm, a mechanical puzzle box, and a miniature bookstore complete with countless detailed miniatures, to name a few. I have knitted and crocheted hats, scarves, purses, leg warmers, stuffed animals, and much more with yarn. I especially like to loom knit or crochet while watching a streaming network, like Netflix, Hulu, etc. -- something I can do while using my ventilator when I need to rest my breathing muscles.
​
My favorite summer activity is swimming, and I am fortunate to have an accessible pool in my backyard now that I live in a warmer climate. I use the pool for physical therapy, fun, and for lounging around on a hot day. Sometimes I need to use the ventilator while I’m swimming, so I keep it nearby.

I also like to travel and sightsee. Because it’s difficult to travel by airplane, I normally take road trips, and I’ve visited at least 17 of the United States and Canada that way!  Due to increasing breathing and mobility concerns, my family recently bought a motorhome for us to travel in to make it safer and more manageable for me. We took the motorhome to Florida for a beach vacation most recently, a beautiful destination.

Needing to use mechanical ventilation every day makes life more complicated, is a big adjustment, and forces me to plan and problem-solve for even some of the simpler activities. Nevertheless, I still find ways to do what I love and reach my goals. I think this quote by Stephen Hawking sums up my view nicely, “Concentrate on things your disability doesn’t prevent you doing well, and don’t regret the things it interferes with.”