Stacey Conner

Stacey and Honey

6/21/1967 – 5/24/1990

In the fall of 1987 Bill received a call from friends in New York about a young girl in Houston who had lost both arms at the shoulders. She and her family needed help. Although we were willing to make the trip to Houston, we didn’t feel qualified to help very much. We had, however, seen a young woman on a telethon that had been born with no arms and lived in Stephenville. Bill was able to locate her and, although she had never met us and knew nothing about us, she readily agreed to go to Houston with us.

Stacey was the oldest of three girls, born without arms at the shoulders. She did everything with her feet and was continually learning. She started college soon after we met her and was planning her wedding and future life when she died.

Why have I included her with our Mentors when she died 5 years before I-CAN was even dreamed of? Basically because she was the epitome of I-CAN and had a profound effect on Bill and I that in no small part fashioned I-CAN – without a doubt, she would have been the 1^st we told about I-CAN. Yes, Stacey’s body has gone on but her spirit lingers, and her story must stay available to inspire others!

Joyce Baughn