'Just Call Me George'
Practical Approach and Ongoing Advocacy Earn Boston Man MDA's Achievement Award

Sometimes, well-meaning folks ask George J. Donahue, recipient of MDA's National Personal Achievement Award for 2002, what he wants to be called, perhaps expecting to hear his favorite synonyms for "disabled." His answer is much simpler: "Just call me George."

This practical approach to disability awareness is characteristic of Donahue, 46, of Watertown, Mass. A lifelong resident of the Boston area, Donahue is a disability activist and a mentor to young people with various disabilities.

He's been employed since the mid-1980s at StrideRite Corp. in Lexington, Mass.,

George Donahue shows kids at StrideRite's daycare center that a wheelchair is a tool, not a toy. Photos by Ed MacKinnon.

"It's a great honor," he says of the MDA award, for which he was chosen from among honorees in each state. "I was surprised and excited at the same time. I never expected the national award. It's kind of weird to get an award for something that you just naturally want to do."

The award was announced on the MDA Telethon on Labor Day weekend.

No Sharks Involved

Donahue has Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a disorder of the peripheral nerves that causes progressive muscle weakness and loss of sensation in the lower arms and legs.

He recalls with amusement that, when he first told his family about his diagnosis, its name caused some innocent confusion for a young nephew. Donahue says, "He went to school and told everybody I had shark's teeth in my legs and that's why I couldn't walk right. The teacher sent a note back wondering how I got attacked by a shark."

Donahue received the diagnosis of CMT on his first visit to an MDA clinic in his 20s. He still recalls the outreach from MDA's local staff.

"When I came into the hall [after the diagnosis], I met Marcia Randall, who sat down and talked with me, so right away I had some support from MDA," Donahue says. Until her recent retirement, Randall was the longtime health care service coordinator at MDA's Canton, Mass., office.

Donahue, who uses leg braces and a manual wheelchair to assist with mobility, has served for several years as a volunteer leader of the Association's Greater Boston Chapter, one of the nation's first. A former chapter president, he's also been a member of both the Massachusetts and the National MDA Task Forces on Public Awareness. He has appeared on, and helped coordinate talent for, local segments of the Telethon several times.

Increasing Awareness

"I wanted to make some kind of difference in the lives of people who have disabilities and even people who don't have disabilities," he says.

For example, when a local reporter who knew of his activism wanted to profile him, Donahue consented — if the reporter would agree briefly to use Donahue's manual wheelchair. At a public park, Donahue perched atop a brick wall while the reporter sat in the chair.

He recalls with relish, "As people walked by, I said, 'Do you notice how they stare at you?'" — the last phrase delivered in a Peter Lorre-like voice.

Donahue continues, "He started to get uncomfortable and I said, 'Doesn't it feel a little weird that people are looking at you and all you're doing is sitting down, just like me, but you're in the chair?'"

In just an hour or so, he says, the reporter's awareness of disability increased dramatically.

Assisting Young People

Donahue has helped at MDA summer camp, showing kids how to put on puppet shows and perform magic tricks adapted to their abilities.

After discovering a knack for working with young people, Donahue and his wife, Julia, volunteered with Partners for Youth with Disabilities, which matches adults with students 12 to 17 years of age in programs such as Youth in Preparation for Independence and the Young Entrepreneurs Project. Donahue has served as a group leader, as adviser to the Young Entrepreneurs Project and as a one-to-one mentor to young people with various physical challenges, including neuromuscular diseases.

One of his former charges has started a business supplying vending machines to local companies. The youth not only has saved money for college, he's also successfully mentored another young person.

Another of Donahue's proteges has very limited physical movement, but by using a computer mouse that he controls with his foot, the young man is able to work with Donahue in building Web pages and in selecting camera shots for public meetings they volunteer to videotape.

Originally in the building trades and training to become an electrician, when Donahue found he had CMT, he decided instead to learn computer technology, which would enable him to pursue sedentary employment. As a member of the Watertown Commission on Disability, he still uses his knowledge of construction in advocating the accessibility of public places.

Donahue's ability to understand and translate construction terms and his friendly, down-to-earth style win him the respect and cooperation of businesspeople and local officials alike.

"If someone comes up with a problem, I want to figure it out, and if I can't figure it out, I'll find the resources to figure it out," he says.

Creative Pursuits

Donahue works a second job at a building supply store, where he enjoys offering advice to people seeking information on home-improvement projects. And when he's not working or volunteering, Donahue operates Wagon 13, a small business in which he uses photographs from special events such as weddings and family reunions to create commemorative videotapes set to music.

His other creative endeavors include writing poetry and short stories, and producing models of starships from science-fiction stories he's authored. He's painted murals and also enjoys photography.

If this sounds like a lot of activity, Donahue says, "What I've found is that a lot of times people with disabilities try to stay as active as they can, because it kind of takes the focus off of what they're going through, and you're allowed to give back to the community.

"You only go through life once, and I do what I can when I can, because there may be a time in my life when I won't be able to do these things."