"Taking The Dis Out Of Disabled"
Canine and Abled TM
"Dreams are very delicate things....
even the best of them are not immune to disaster..."
--Kimberly Carnevale
Kimberly Carnevale was a professional athlete struck down in her prime by a horrible accident. She wanted to give up; she tried, but something wouldn't let her. That "something" was her first service dog, Dewey. Traveling down a long road of recovery, Kimberly was faced with challenges that seemed insurmountable; such as learning how to read, write, walk and talk again.
Using her athlete mentality and her unfaltering faith, Kimberly not only overcame those challenges, but continued to surpass all expectations by founding what has become an award-winning education program designed to promote awareness and acceptance of service dog teams everywhere.
When word got out about her incredible story, she decided to share the intimate details of her recovery in the form of a motivational speaking seminar, where she shares with her audiences the tools she used to turn her tragedy into triumph and also demonstrates her service dog's tasks.
Kimberly didn't stop there, however! Vowing to reach as many people as she could, Kimberly faced her reading/writing difficulties head-on and struggled through the daunting process of writing a book that detailed the events in her life and shed more light onto the growing problem of access denial; something most service dog teams face on a daily basis. This story is not one to be missed!
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"Together, we are Canine and ABLED!TM
..."Just finished reading your wonderful book, "Taking The Dis Out of Disabled", and am totally astounded. I admire your courage, faith and tenacity to have conquered all you have. You truly inspire hope and a never-give-up spirit." --D. Wenzel
..."This book brings awareness of how important service dogs are in assisting their owners in the everyday management of life. We know they are used by the blind, but I'm guessing many of us don't know they also assist people without any visible handicaps. Kimberly's book is enlightening, not just about the role of the service dog, but also the misfortunes in her life and how she survived them. Motivation and inspiration are what she gives us when life gets tough. Her poems are an extension of the story she tells in each chapter, and suggest the ability for poetry that should warrant a separate book. She is a winner because of a refusal to accept anything less than success. She succeeded with me by opening my eyes to the disabled." --Raymond Quintanilla
..."Canine and Abled--Taking The Dis Out Of Disabled", is a very inspirational and educational book. As amazing as Ms. Carnevale's recovery from her accident was, what she has done since is truly a wonderful thing. Educating people about service dogs and the laws pertaining to them has become her passion. I had the good fortune of meeting Ms. Carnevale, and if you have the chance, after you read her book, I recommend attending one of her demonstrations so you can see first hand what an amazing and caring person she truly is..." --Karl Baumbach
Prologue
The force of the impact was incredible. Glass shattered around me, raining down everywhere. The sickening, crunching sound of metal was deafening and I felt myself spinning. I saw the taillights in front of me disappear and then the headlights of the cars that were behind me were heading at me; and so it continued. I was spinning forever, it seemed. I was saying a silent prayer. I was wishing blessings on my family and friends because I knew I was about to die. There was no pain. I was surprised. That would come later; I was to learn. It was amazing just how many thoughts went through my head in that seemingly very small amount of time. the noise stopped and the spinning stopped. It was quiet; too quiet. My thoughts were thrust into darkness, and then they drifted to a simpler time, one filled with comforting memories of a lifetime of striving for the ultimate goal of Olympic Gold.
It's taken me a long time to write this. There was a time, not so long ago, when the words would spew from my mind and travel through my fingertips to quickly fill the void of an empty page. The accident changed all that. It not only changed what I did--it changed who I am.
Lately I've felt the old, familiar stirrings of my writer's mind--a welcome visit from a dear, old friend who had been away far too long. You see; I had to relearn to read and write to create this work. The words and feelings are different, not so carefree as before, yet the need is the same. The need is to capture my thoughts and feelings on an empty page and paint living, breathing images with the strokes of my keyboard. I yearn again to mesh those feelings with the perfect descriptions, so as to transport you, my reader into another place and time. My keyboard is your roadmap and my words are the tour that will guide you through an unforgettable journey. My life has been a tumultuous journey; one that has been filled with excitement, heartaches, excruciating pain, and finally; hope and joy. It is a journey that is still unraveling, slowly leading me to my destiny. I invite you to share in this journey and hope that by taking this trip with me, you'll be able to see how our challenges in life are often blessings in disguise...
Some Reader's Reviews:
..."I knew yours was a fascinating saga, but until I read your inspiring book, I had no idea what an interesting person you are... As a longtime dog trainer and exhibitor, and someone who has trained dogs for service work, your book was very informative. My intent is to purchase several books for some clients." --Caryln Fasnacht
Forward by Mark Leone of Ri-Arm Farm- USET Show Jumping Rider
"It is with great pride that I write this forward for my dear friend Kim, whom I have known for many years and have grown to admire for her strength and dedication to realizing her dream.My name is Mark Leone, and I have been in the equestrian world for 30 years pursuing my dream of being a world-class show jumping rider. I have been fortunate enough to represent the United States all over the world and teach young equestrians the art of show jumping.I met Kim many years ago at a horse show and she wanted to come and work with me to pursue her riding career and learn horse management. Kim had a good talent an d a real zest for the sport. Several months into her job Kim developed Lyme disease and it was the beginning of a new battle that we both felt she could overcome. Kim returned home to treat this illness with the understanding that she would return to work when she was better. It seemed we had a good plan.It was then that Kim faced another big hurdle to clear. While Kim was treating her Lyme disease, she was in a devastating car accident that would again change her life. Kim sustained severe damage to her neck and back as well as her brain. She was wheelchair bound for about two years and has been rehabilitating herself. She has been relentless in her quest to resume a normal life.Through this tragic event, Kim has sort out innovative ways to better herself and that's where she learned the great value and need of canine assistance. The canine's ability to assist disabled persons in rehabilitation is quite remarkable. Through this relationship, Kim has been steadily improving and is out of her wheelchair and is walking and resuming her life to the best of her ability. She has great confidence in herself and her future. In closing, it is quite inspiring to me to see how a person faced with life threatening events can conquer these problems. Kim is a big canine advocate who believes that a person with disabilities can overcome these obstacles and realize their dream."--Mark Leone
USET Show Jumping Rider
Coach/friend
Check back soon for Kimberly's soon-to-be-released new e-book! Be among the first to get it right here!
