A Reflection on the Eleanor Clark Slagle Lecture by Susan B. Fine

 "We bring our expertise and compassion; they bring their bodies, minds, and compromised lives." - Susan B. Fine, the Eleanor Clark Slagle Lecture award recipient 1990 (Fine, 1990).

    Susan B. Fine was the 1990 Eleanor Clark Slagle Lecture award recipient. Every year one occupational therapist is chosen for this award. The recipient has made major milestones in the profession of occupational therapy throughout their career. Susan Fine MA, OTR, FAOTA, was a director at many medical centers, a senior lecturer, and practitioner in psychiatric rehabilitation. Her lecture focused on resilience and adaptability with adversity in occupational therapy. I researched the stories below mentioned in her lecture. 

    The year of 1990 is the year the cold war ended. It was also when the internet took off allowing new ways of communication. However, with peace comes trial and tribulation. The years of 1984-1990's were known as the 'Crack Epidemic' with a surge in 1990. Why does this matter? It is important to be 'in the know' of social changes to better serve your client and how it may impact their mental health and day to day life. 

The Central Jogger Attack 1989 in New York.  

    New York was the leader of the crack epidemic. On the day of the attack, many teenagers went around attacking people in central park, probably due to cocaine use. During the chaos, a woman was sexually assaulted and left with life changing injuries. A group of five teenagers were wrongly convicted in the Central Park Jogger case and it came to light later that there was only one individual involved and he was brought to justice. Thankfully, Trisha Meili, the victim of this horrible crime recovered remarkably. One thing to note about Meili was she was an avid runner. She lost her sense of smell, sight, and struggled with balance. Only three months after the attack she joined the Achilles Track Club, a group for disabled runners and ran the New York Marathon. Later, she published, I am the Central Park Jogger: A Story of Hope and Possibility. It was her first time speaking and revealing her identity publicly. She wanted to share her story to the world with the focus being on resilience. Remember the word, resilience. She speaks about her recovery journey and helps survivors like her with their own healing journey. She is resilient. 

Ryan White    

    Susan also brings up Ryan White in her lecture. Ryan White was an icon child after his diagnosis of AIDS from a blood transfusion. He lived five years after his diagnosis and during that time made huge strides on the education and inclusiveness in public education regarding their policies with students with AIDS. Due to his diagnosis, he was unable to attend school. His mom and him fought for his right to attend school which gained national recognition. In the article, Who Was Ryan White, they include a transcript from White's mother. She stated Ryan wanted to be like everyone else. He wanted to 'belong' like everyone else. Ryan and his mom moved to a small community in Indiana where they accepted Ryan. He was finally able to attend school where students went home and educated their parents on AIDS. He was able to go to proms and secured his first job at a skateboard shop. He passed away in April of 1990, the year congress passed the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act in August of 1990 (A&E, 1990). The moral of the story is Ryan did not let his diagnosis define him and found resilience with the adversities he faced. 

    I chose this speech in particular because the main reason I wanted to become an OT was to help people overcome traumatic experiences in their lives and give them hope. This article talks about resilience and the power of overcoming adversity. Both topics were mentioned in the article, so I dug a little deeper into the stories of those mentioned in Susan's speech to better understand what was happening around her during this time. Ryan White, icon for education of AIDS, Trisha Meili, sexual assault survivor and advocater, and also the 'Central Park Five' who were wrongfully convicted of this horrible crime as they had to adapt back into civilian life. All during the 'Crack Epidemic'. They showed resilience in overcoming adversity.

Resources: 

A&E Television Networks. (2018, August 21). 1990s. History.com. https://www.history.com/topics/1990s

Nicolaou, E. (2019). Where is Trisha Meili, the "Central Park Jogger," now?https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/05/233829/trisha-meili-now-2019-when-they-see-us-central-park-jogger

Fine, Susan B. (1990). The Eleanor Clark Slagle Lecture- Resilience and Human Adaptability: Who Rises Above Adversity?. American Journal of Occupational Therapy. https://research.aota.org/ajot/article/45/6/493/2775/Resilience-and-Human-Adaptability-Who-Rises-Above