News & Views, Volume 10, Number 3, March 1988 Page: 2
8 p. : ill.View a full description of this periodical.
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APR 1- %
771
Things are
Looking Up
for Malla
She took
control of
her life.
It showed
in her
confidence!As a surgical technologist, Malla Wessel spends a lot of time in the surgical supply
room preparing for surgery at the Odessa County Hospital.Malla Wessel's grit and TRC
assistance helped turn her life
around with a job as a surgical
technologist.
Along with her unusual name, she
has an unusual heart problem. But,
these aren't the only unusual things
about 31-year-old Wessel.
Eighteen months ago, she came to
TRC with severe chest pains resulting
from a congenital heart dysfunction.
A divorced mother of two small
children, Wessel was trying to
support herself by cleaning houses
and doing hairdressing.
But her heart problem would not
allow her to stand long enough to
do either one.
When TRC helped to arrange for
corrective heart surgery, things
began to take a turn for the better.
After her surgery, Wessel wanted
to pursue an interest in surgical
technology through the one-year
2 TRC News & Views
March 1988program at Odessa College. Her
counselor challenged her on the
appropriateness of this request.
What about her child-care
situation? Her inability to support
herself? The tough requirements of
the training? She gathered her
resources and entered the program.
She sailed through on sheer
determination, winning the academic
excellence award for the highest
grade point average and was given
the clinical excellence award by the
Odessa County Hospital staff who
trained her.
She took control of her life. It
showed in her confidence!
Wessel passed the certification test
for surgical technologist with honorsand plans to return to school to
become a registered nurse. She
enjoys her work and her co-workers
enjoy her.
She refers to her TRC counselor,
David Hooper, as "my buddy," a
common West Texas expression. ''I
don't think I would have had the
courage to do all this without TRC
help,'" Wessel says. "I'm just glad it
was there for me.
"I don't care what this job pays or
how many problems you have doing
it,'' says Hooper. "One client like
Malla makes it all worth it!"i
1
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Texas Rehabilitation Commission. News & Views, Volume 10, Number 3, March 1988, periodical, March 1988; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1031742/m1/2/: accessed July 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.