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Chasing Normality - With a Little Help from Family and Friends
A
Memoir by Richard L. Wieler with Maureen O'Halloran Clark
Richard (Dick) Wieler was left in a state of permanent and
almost total paralysis after being stricken with polio in
1955. His doctor warned his parents that the teenager would
be homebound and totally dependent upon their care for the
rest of his life. At a time when few places were wheelchair
accessible, when adaptive equipment was primitive
and scarce, and when computers were nonexistent, Dick finished
high school, college and law school. He lived independently
and became self-supporting.
"Watching
Dick Wieler argue a case was a marvelous experience. He had
a better grasp of the law than anyone in the room, including
the seven of us wearing the black robes. He would argue without
notes, make his points succinctly and knew when he'd said
enough. Let me say it this way. I heard well over 1500 cases
argued before the Missouri Supreme Court. Dick was the very
best advocate I ever heard. No one else came close."
- Edward "Chip" Robertson, former Missouri
Supreme Court Chief Justice
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