Founder Diann Shaddox Story
A Message from Diann
One of the millions of Faces
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Dear Friends,
I started our Foundation with the specific purpose of helping everyone afflicted by Essential Tremor. The moment I learned how many people had tremors and stories so like mine, I wanted to send the message to the world that they aren’t alone. The disability of living with tremors are enough to cope with, but the stares, remarks and not able to do simple task can be devastating. Knowing others have your back and support can ease the suffering. Each year our Foundation has increased in momentum by uniting the ET Community, building a network of Industry leaders, on our board and sponsors, sharing knowledge and awareness, and informing the medical community. Now is an exciting time for hope and optimism in ET research for new treatments and ultimately, a cure. My end goal is to ease the suffering of Essential Tremor. We must tell our stories to the world so they will understand our tremors and bring hope and support. We are making a change and bringing ET to the forefront. We will not stop until the world recognizes Essential Tremor and we have found new treatments and a cure. Together we will make a world without Essential Tremor. |
Diann' Story
I would like to introduce myself. My name is Diann Shaddox and I grew up in southwest Arkansas, in a rural town, where Main Street has diagonal parking, old brick buildings containing a bank, old fashion pharmacy, and even a Dime Store. The small town of Nashville is surrounded by farms and rolling countryside and is a modest, but quaint southern town where football still reigns supreme. A town that brought my imagination to life, hot summer evenings catching fireflies, riding bikes all over the small town, swimming in creeks, and pristine blue lakes.
I’m still a true southern girl, but my imagination in my books spreads across the world, with fantasy books that begin in Maine, the city of Boston, San Francisco, and they even go to the remote Greek islands.
I’m a Native American and a member of the Wyandotte Nation. I also have a collection of Native American children’s tales that I’m working on for future books.
My life stayed way to busy and years just seemed to fly by. However, since I was very young, stories after stories flowed in my mind, but I pushed them to the side hoping they would just disappear. They didn’t.
So, I gave in. It was 2005 and I sat down in my family room and began to write. I didn’t think or plan what I was going to write about. I just let the first story begin, then the next story and the next one. Love stories, sci/fi, and children’s stories emerged.
But, (there’s always a but) one night December 18th, 2010, I couldn’t sleep. It happened to be my birthday. I went into my office, late that night, and I stared down at my hands. They were shaking uncontrollably, making it difficult to type. The tremors grew, as did my anger. I held my hands in the air, I yelled, “Happy Birthday dumb-ass!” You see those words brought A Faded Cottage to life.
I will step back in time, so you will understand about my hand tremors. When I was in my early twenties, I was standing at the post office window in Louisville, KY and I couldn’t even fill out a simple form with my name and address because my hand was shaking. How a task so simple, and how embarrassing, but my hand wouldn’t write. I could hear the whispers and comments from people standing in the line behind me. The confused look from the post office clerk told the entire story.
I had been taught not to show my feelings in public, but tears flowed down my face as I raced out of the building clutching my package in my arms. That one day made me angry and I had to find my answer.
After talking to 3 doctors telling me that I was just nervous, I finally found a Neurologist and discovered that I had Essential Tremor. I was relieved to know what I had, but didn’t really understand what Essential Tremor was. I thought I was the only person in the world with this disease.
I thought I was some kind of freak and tried to hide my shaky hand. I used more energy hiding my tremors more than just living my life.
As time moved on so did my tremors and I couldn’t hide anymore. People began to question and stare at me wondering why I was nervous or thinking maybe I was on drugs or just plain weird.
Being out in public was difficult, the stares were tough. Even being in a doctor’s office was difficult. The nurses question and even chastised me when they tried to take my blood pressure and my arm would shake. Normal activities became huge obstacles.
Through my writing I found out I wasn’t alone. At my book signings I began to hear stories from other people living with ET, stories that were so similar to mine. I no longer felt alone and became empowered to inform people about Essential Tremor.
I knew something had to be done. So, I became an activist to bring awareness for ET and I founded the Diann Shaddox Foundation for Essential Tremor (DSF) a non-profit organization.
DSF's mission is to educate and increase awareness about people afflicted with Essential Tremor and to find treatments and a cure for ET.
Essential tremor (ET) is a neurological disorder characterized by uncontrollable and rhythmic shaking or trembling in one or more parts of the body while in use most commonly the arms and hands.
It tends to occur in families.
It is mild in some people but can become severe, debilitating, and demoralizing. First and foremost, Essential Tremor can begin at any age from ages 1 to 100. ET affects both men and women and individuals of every age, race or ethnicity and national origin.
Tremor in the hands can impair the ability to eat, dress, write, and perform household activities and functions in the workplace.
Many people with ET are too embarrassed to go out in public and remain isolated in their homes, which can lead to depression.
The Diann Shaddox Foundation for Essential Tremor, (DSF) mission is to educate and increase awareness about people afflicted with Essential Tremor and to find new treatments and a cure for ET.
My end goal is to unite the Essential Tremor community and help us all with ET live productive healthy lives.
We understand that our strategic plan achievement will bring one voice for ET to resonate and be heard worldwide.
Now, both my hands, head, legs, and voice tremor, I also lose my balance. Even though the stares will forever be, I won’t give up.
Please join me and together we will find a cure for Essential Tremor. Thank you. Diann
www.diannshaddoxfoundation.org
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A Faded Cottage
MY STORY by Diann
On December 18, 2010, I sat in my office and wrote A Faded Cottage a Christmas love story about an artist who develops Essential Tremor. My life has change dramatically because of this one small book.
A Faded Cottage is a journal of only two weeks. The story of Quaid Witherspoon’s life. I’ve sat back pondered what my life would be like if I’d not published “A Faded Cottage” and continued with my plan of only writing and publishing my other books.
I have to believe my journey was for a reason. Life can be a mystery and I wouldn't have taken on the challenge to start a new foundation, Diann Shaddox Foundation for Essential Tremor, if I’d stayed the path that I’d planned.
When I talked to people around the country I became adamant to make a change since no one had heard of Essential Tremor, even though I had been diagnosed with Essential Tremor since I was in my early 20's and over 100 million people in the world have ET. I kept asking myself; how could that be? Something needed to be done. I soon learned that one cold December night changed my life. For the better only time will tell that answer.
It was the night of December 18, 2010, my birthday, a very calm and uneventful night. I couldn't sleep, which isn't unusual for me, so I made my way downstairs to my cubby office to work on one of my novels.
I sat in front of the computer and began to type, but it seemed my fingers and hands had another idea as they shook uncontrollably hovering over the keyboard. If you've tried to text as you are riding in a car or train when it’s bumpy, then you might understand how difficult it is to type when you have trouble with tremoring fingers hitting the correct keys. I’d learn to deal with my tremors for many years, but this night it became overpowering.
I leaned back in my chair. I sat there and stared at the computer screen. My anger grew watching my hands quiver over the keyboard, and for once in my life I felt sorry for myself. The question of why me, a question without an answer, played repeatedly in my mind.
I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes. I let my tremoring hands type and the words, “Happy birthday dumb-ass” were written across the screen. I laughed and let the words flow and Quaid Witherspoon, a famous artist, was born.
A man who had everything or so he thought, but now his hands had abandoned him and his life of painting had ceased, becoming a bitter man. I didn't plan the story of Quaid that night, but his character emerged from my mind while I told his story. The story of Quaid Witherspoon, the novel 'A Faded Cottage', became an incredible love story, one about strength of mind to fight fate and never accept what life throws at you. ‘A Faded Cottage’ is journal of a famous artist not of his life, but of only two weeks, a love story about aging and two people being reunited after thirty years finding love can conquer all.
Through this process of bringing A Faded Cottage to life, I have learned so much and talking, listening to everyone’s stories that are so similar to mine has increased my desire to make a difference.
Now, A Faded Cottage has become a vehicle to explain about Essential Tremor and how so many live each day with tremoring hands, head, voice, and entire body.
Diann's Bio
Diann Shaddox is a Native American Indian and a member of the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma. She’s an award winning author, book-lover, wife, mother, grandmother, and has Essential Tremor. She loves to cook, grow organic vegetables, travel, and drink great wines. Diann is Founder of Diann Shaddox Foundation for Essential Tremor.
Diann was born on December 18th in a small southern town of Nashville, Arkansas, the youngest and only daughter of William and Mary Ann. But, fate had stepped in and William, a crop-duster, at the age of 25 died in a plane crash on November 20th, the month before she was born, therefore, Diann was never able to meet her father. Mary Ann, who grew up in Miami, Oklahoma, (a member of the Wyandotte Nation) moved back to Miami after William’s death, where Diann lived until her mother died, when she was only 3 years old.
Diann and her brother moved back to Nashville, Arkansas to live with her grandparents. At the age of 10, Diann’s Granddad died of a stroke, leaving her Mamow alone to see to her and her brother.
Diann learned from an early age about death, and how life should not be squandered. Her Mamow, who had lost her right hand in an accident at a factory in Nashville, Arkansas, taught her you never give up and never let anything stand in her way. She taught herself to write, cook, and even how to sew and make quilts with only using her left hand, without any prosthetics. Being handicapped was a word she never used.
Growing up with Mamow in a small town was wonderful, learning to fish, growing a garden and the most important thing, patience of a grandmother. Stories from the past evolved of family bringing many stories to life. Sitting out late at night on cool summer evenings, swinging on an old swing staring up at the stars helped Diann’s vivid imagination grow.
As for most people, life moved on quickly for her, graduating from Nashville High School, a real Scrapper, college, marrying her sweetheart Randy, having children, letting her dreams of so many characters stay in her head.
After she married Diann moved to Louisville, KY where she lived for a few years and then to Princeton, NJ; Burke, Virginia; back to Louisville, KY; Bonita Springs, FL; Leander, TX and then to Aiken, SC.
Diann Shaddox is a Native American Indian and a member of the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma. She’s an award winning author, book-lover, wife, mother, grandmother, and has Essential Tremor. She loves to cook, grow organic vegetables, travel, and drink great wines. Diann is Founder of Diann Shaddox Foundation for Essential Tremor.
Diann was born on December 18th in a small southern town of Nashville, Arkansas, the youngest and only daughter of William and Mary Ann. But, fate had stepped in and William, a crop-duster, at the age of 25 died in a plane crash on November 20th, the month before she was born, therefore, Diann was never able to meet her father. Mary Ann, who grew up in Miami, Oklahoma, (a member of the Wyandotte Nation) moved back to Miami after William’s death, where Diann lived until her mother died, when she was only 3 years old.
Diann and her brother moved back to Nashville, Arkansas to live with her grandparents. At the age of 10, Diann’s Granddad died of a stroke, leaving her Mamow alone to see to her and her brother.
Diann learned from an early age about death, and how life should not be squandered. Her Mamow, who had lost her right hand in an accident at a factory in Nashville, Arkansas, taught her you never give up and never let anything stand in her way. She taught herself to write, cook, and even how to sew and make quilts with only using her left hand, without any prosthetics. Being handicapped was a word she never used.
Growing up with Mamow in a small town was wonderful, learning to fish, growing a garden and the most important thing, patience of a grandmother. Stories from the past evolved of family bringing many stories to life. Sitting out late at night on cool summer evenings, swinging on an old swing staring up at the stars helped Diann’s vivid imagination grow.
As for most people, life moved on quickly for her, graduating from Nashville High School, a real Scrapper, college, marrying her sweetheart Randy, having children, letting her dreams of so many characters stay in her head.
After she married Diann moved to Louisville, KY where she lived for a few years and then to Princeton, NJ; Burke, Virginia; back to Louisville, KY; Bonita Springs, FL; Leander, TX and then to Aiken, SC.
Now, Diann hopes the word will spread about ET and even though the stares will forever be, she won’t give up. May the power of many voices bring peace to all.
Bringing new books to life, she hopes will continue for years to come. Diann knows her own book of life has new pages being added each day and it’s up to each of us of what our Lifebooks will contain.
She has an enthusiasm for travel and living life to its fullest. You have only one life and shouldn’t waste it.
The zest for meeting and getting to know people is a very important component in her life. She is a believer of herbs, natural and organic foods, and a big supporter of Bio-identical Hormones and keeping our planet green.
Diann has lived in eight great states, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, New Jersey, Virginia, Texas, and Florida. South Carolina is now her home with her husband, Randy, her greatest supporter.
Escaping to worlds unknown in a book is exhilarating and she hopes her ideas and dreams are inexhaustible with many years of writing.
Diann's son Rick died of a cancerous stage-four brain tumor, Glioblastoma May 20, 2014.
Diann XO
www.diannshaddoxfoundation.org
Bringing new books to life, she hopes will continue for years to come. Diann knows her own book of life has new pages being added each day and it’s up to each of us of what our Lifebooks will contain.
She has an enthusiasm for travel and living life to its fullest. You have only one life and shouldn’t waste it.
The zest for meeting and getting to know people is a very important component in her life. She is a believer of herbs, natural and organic foods, and a big supporter of Bio-identical Hormones and keeping our planet green.
Diann has lived in eight great states, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, New Jersey, Virginia, Texas, and Florida. South Carolina is now her home with her husband, Randy, her greatest supporter.
Escaping to worlds unknown in a book is exhilarating and she hopes her ideas and dreams are inexhaustible with many years of writing.
Diann's son Rick died of a cancerous stage-four brain tumor, Glioblastoma May 20, 2014.
Diann XO
www.diannshaddoxfoundation.org
Diann Shaddox was born December 18th in Nashville, Arkansas and is an author, speaker, and Founder of the Diann Shaddox Foundation for Essential Tremor.
Diann Shaddox is best known for her released books, A Faded Cottage, (2013) a SC love story about an artist with Essential Tremors; Whispering Fog, (2014) a time travel romance; Miranda,(2015) a historical fiction, a journal of a young girl living in the late 1800’s; Spirits of Sacred Mountain, (2016) about a young Native American Indian boy’s life spinning out of control and a magical mountain with deep hidden secrets; The Gatekeeper of Crystal Pond, (2017) mystery/sci-fi Not What Lies Above, but Below; Hidden Dreams (2021) Hidden Dreams is part of Southern Dreams stories of rhapsodies and struggles of the Bellamead family living on the Bella Oak Plantation established in 1844 in South Carolina; and Diary of Olivia Bellamead (2022) a part of Southern Dreams stories of rhapsodies and struggles of the Bellamead family living on the Bella Oak Plantation established in 1844 in South Carolina.
Shaddox was diagnosed with Essential tremor in 1982. She has since become an advocate for awareness and research toward finding a cure for ET and she created the Diann Shaddox Foundation for Essential Tremor, August 2014.
Diann Shaddox is a Native American Indian and a member of the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma.
Essential tremor (ET) Essential Tremor, ET is a progressive neurological disease that causes a rhythmic trembling of the hands, head, voice, legs, or body. Over 100 million people worldwide (including children) have ET, the largest movement disorder in the world. ET can begin at any age, from birth to 100. ET doesn't discriminate with age, race, sex, or national origin.
Diann Shaddox was born December 18th in Nashville, Arkansas and is an author, speaker, and Founder of the Diann Shaddox Foundation for Essential Tremor.
Diann Shaddox is best known for her released books, A Faded Cottage, (2013) a SC love story about an artist with Essential Tremors; Whispering Fog, (2014) a time travel romance; Miranda,(2015) a historical fiction, a journal of a young girl living in the late 1800’s; Spirits of Sacred Mountain, (2016) about a young Native American Indian boy’s life spinning out of control and a magical mountain with deep hidden secrets; The Gatekeeper of Crystal Pond, (2017) mystery/sci-fi Not What Lies Above, but Below; Hidden Dreams (2021) Hidden Dreams is part of Southern Dreams stories of rhapsodies and struggles of the Bellamead family living on the Bella Oak Plantation established in 1844 in South Carolina; and Diary of Olivia Bellamead (2022) a part of Southern Dreams stories of rhapsodies and struggles of the Bellamead family living on the Bella Oak Plantation established in 1844 in South Carolina.
Shaddox was diagnosed with Essential tremor in 1982. She has since become an advocate for awareness and research toward finding a cure for ET and she created the Diann Shaddox Foundation for Essential Tremor, August 2014.
Diann Shaddox is a Native American Indian and a member of the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma.
Essential tremor (ET) Essential Tremor, ET is a progressive neurological disease that causes a rhythmic trembling of the hands, head, voice, legs, or body. Over 100 million people worldwide (including children) have ET, the largest movement disorder in the world. ET can begin at any age, from birth to 100. ET doesn't discriminate with age, race, sex, or national origin.
Many people ask about DSF logo. It is an Eagle's wing.
Diann Shaddox is a Native American & proud member of the Wyandotte Nation.
The Eagle has stood for the people, he protects, serves and watches over his brothers and sisters.
Diann Shaddox is a Native American & proud member of the Wyandotte Nation.
The Eagle has stood for the people, he protects, serves and watches over his brothers and sisters.
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A tribute to my son Rick who died of a cancerous stage-four brain tumor, Glioblastoma May 20, 2014.
I want to say an immense thank you to all my family and friends. The outpouring of support, prayers and love my family has received during this difficult time has been a blessing. My son’s life was ended way to quick and the question of why will never be answered. I learned when I was very young that trying to find the answer of why a tragedy happens is a waste of precious time. I taught my son to live his life to the fullest and he lived more in his short life than many people live in a lifetime. I believe we all have a purpose in life.
My son touched so many people lives giving them smiles from his laughter, a strong shoulder to lean on, and he left them with joy and a drive to continue and never give up no matter what life throws at you. My son won’t ever be gone since his memory will live in my heart forever. Being a writer I will keep his stories alive to tell his children and anyone who will listen. Stories that will make you laugh, cry, and bring out the love deep inside of you.
There is a simple message I want to leave with everyone, smile more often, let the little things in life that bother you disappear, live each day of your life to the fullest, and tell your loved ones how much you love them. I don’t have the magic button to take the sorrow and pain away, but my life will continue on, whether it is for one more day, month, or many, many years, and I will always remember my sweet baby boy.
I want to say an immense thank you to all my family and friends. The outpouring of support, prayers and love my family has received during this difficult time has been a blessing. My son’s life was ended way to quick and the question of why will never be answered. I learned when I was very young that trying to find the answer of why a tragedy happens is a waste of precious time. I taught my son to live his life to the fullest and he lived more in his short life than many people live in a lifetime. I believe we all have a purpose in life.
My son touched so many people lives giving them smiles from his laughter, a strong shoulder to lean on, and he left them with joy and a drive to continue and never give up no matter what life throws at you. My son won’t ever be gone since his memory will live in my heart forever. Being a writer I will keep his stories alive to tell his children and anyone who will listen. Stories that will make you laugh, cry, and bring out the love deep inside of you.
There is a simple message I want to leave with everyone, smile more often, let the little things in life that bother you disappear, live each day of your life to the fullest, and tell your loved ones how much you love them. I don’t have the magic button to take the sorrow and pain away, but my life will continue on, whether it is for one more day, month, or many, many years, and I will always remember my sweet baby boy.
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