The Story
Defying Disability
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Their journey together begins in a 1950s rehabilitation center, where two young polio survivors found strength, hope, and each other. Bert, a preacher’s son from Oklahoma, and Darlene, a single mother from Arkansas, formed a bond rooted in strength, faith, and a shared determination to defy the limitations others placed on them. Critics questioned how a man on crutches and a woman in a wheelchair could build a life together—but they looked at each other’s strengths and chose commitment.
Defying Disability: One Couple’s Journey of Fierce Love and Unwavering Faith weaves together their stories from their childhoods, through their dark paths of polio and recovery, to their meeting and the creation of their bright future together.
Navigating love, work, and parenthood before the protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Bert and Darlene Cherry built a joyful life in Dallas. Bert enjoyed a successful career in the credit union industry; Darlene ran a childcare business from home. Together, they raised three children and cherished eleven grandchildren and many great-grandchildren.
Written by their niece, Dinah Jordan, during the reflective pause of the COVID-19 pandemic, this biography is both a family tribute and a testament to resilience. It explores how fierce love and unwavering faith can carry us beyond expectation and into possibility.
Published June 1, 2026
Defying Disability - Second Edition
Streamlined for flow and a more personal narrative
Published in November 2021, the original biography featured full-color printing and family appendices containing side stories. I determined these side stories were unnecessary for a wider readership.
The second edition, released June 1, 2026:
Eliminates the family appendices.
Provides a streamlined, more personal narrative.
Features a beautiful new burgundy cover honoring polio awareness.
Uses black and white printing for a more attractive price point
Also Available
Defying Disability - First Edition (2021)
The first edition traces Bert and Darlene Cherry's early lives, their experiences with polio, and the long paths to recovery that brought them together in a 1950s rehabilitation center. It follows their journey through a six-decade marriage grounded in love, faith, and resilience.
The first edition also includes these items not featured in the second edition:
Appendices of the Cherry and Fox families, sharing side stories of the people who shaped Bert and Darlene's lives.
A more extensive selection of photos and personal notes.
The full text of resources on polio, spinal tap, the iron lung, Sister Kenny treatment, the March of Dimes, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Full-color printing in a 7x10 trim size, with burgundy text for extended quotes, reflecting the color of polio awareness.
Available directly from the author for $30 + shipping, calculated based on location. (Tax included where applicable.)