MCH Resident Publishes Inspiring eBook

Tom Turner found his way to MCH about five years ago after a stroke—a setback that gave him time to revisit a project he first discussed with his mother, Donna, nearly 25 years earlier.

The Victor native was born with spina bifida, a condition in which the spine and spinal cord do not form properly, leading to a range of health challenges—including, in Tom's case, paralysis from the waist down.

There was a time when doctors would deliver such a diagnosis and send home parents with the grim news that their newborn child likely wouldn’t make it through the night. But when Donna and Bill Turner received that news at Canandaigua’s F.F. Thompson Hospital in 1970, they refused to give up hope.

“Back in those days, the medical community wasn’t ready for us,” Tom said from his room inside MCH’s Friendship Building. “Thankfully, my mother and father weren’t the type of people who had the word ‘quit’ in their vocabulary. They decided to forge ahead.”

Donna was a teacher in the Manchester-Shortsville Central School District who also loved to write. Bill served in the U.S. Army and later owned an automotive business and a popular Corvette dealership.

Their compassion and commitment to giving their son a full life are the foundation of the eBook Tom recently published with the help of his sister, Laura Turner, and Tom's friend, Keith Partington.

Beyond the Bridge: 10 Lessons I've Learned from a Lifetime of Disability was released last fall, in time for Spina Bifida Awareness Month in November. The 110-page eBook ($5.99) offers powerful lessons on inclusion, resiliency, and advocacy for people with disabilities, while recounting Tom’s personal experiences—such as getting around in a red wagon as a child and learning to walk using a parapodium at Toronto Children’s Hospital.

“Tom’s passion for life—his life energy, as I would call it—is an inspiration to me, my whole family, and his friends,” said Laura Turner, an accomplished author who is grateful for the MCH staff’s dedication to keeping Tom healthy and productive. “He has done everything in his power to overcome obstacles. With his book, his main mission, as I saw it, was to raise awareness and champion people with disabilities.”

Tom graduated from high school, earned a broadcasting degree from Finger Lakes Community College, and enjoyed family trips to the Adirondacks, as well as many outings to Canandaigua Motorsports Park with his dad.

Throughout his life, he has been a passionate advocate. He once wrote to then-President Ronald Reagan to push for increased opportunities for people with disabilities, spoke to the Rochester Rotary Club, and became a Young Ambassador for Easterseals of Greater Rochester. He even appeared on live television for the Easterseals Telethon alongside former Rochester broadcasters David Nolan and Colleen McVey.

Tom also worked for his father’s automotive business, helping transition it into the world of e-commerce. Over the years, he has met a variety of well-known figures, including NFL quarterback Doug Flutie, violinist Itzhak Perlman, Moe guitarist Chuck Garvey, wheelchair rugby player Mark Zupan, and even Jessica Hahn at a St. Patrick’s Day event in Victor.

His friendships include Rochester radio personality Brother Wease and broadcasters Don Alhart, Rich Funke, and John Kucko. Tom has given numerous media interviews, fallen in love, witnessed the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, and experienced so much more—things he's appreciated even more because of having spina bifida.

Tom’s parents have since passed, but their memory remains close to his heart. Photos of them adorn his room at MCH, where he’s eager to share how their love and support propelled him to lead a full life—including the time his father let him take the wheel of his car.

Laura also credits MCH for helping Tom continue to move forward by providing the care he needs and including the space and support for his eBook, which can be found online at https://books2read.com/Tom-Turner.

“I want to express my deep gratitude for the care Tom has received at MCH,” she said. “It has been crucial in allowing him to remain productive and continue advocating for people with disabilities. On behalf of my family, I thank the kind staff at MCH for their dedication to keeping Tom healthy and engaged in his mission.”