About Her: Kitty Kavey keeps doing the impossible. Nearly two decades have passed since she was involved in a motorcycle accident that took part of her vision, crushed one side of her face and culminated with cardiac arrest and a stroke. She was clinically dead long enough for her to have a near-death experience. Left with brain damage, impaired sight and other residual effects that lingered, she learned how to live and function again as best she could. Numerous doctors and specialists told her she would never be employable again--she could never live like a "regular" person. It was suggested that she live in a state-run group home, get a Seeing Eye dog, or be cared for by professionals for the rest of her natural life. That just made her mad, and she worked diligently to ensure her independence and success. She's now completely self-mobile, (short of driving a motor vehicle) and without speech impediments or motor difficulty. She has learned compensatory skills to cope with the brain damage. Through multiple surgeries she has had her face rebuilt, and regained much of the vision that she was told was impossible to recover. She found in the entertainment industry she could work as much and as frequently as she was able, and enjoys being both in front of and behind the camera. No one brings more dedication or professionalism to a project than she does, and no one works harder, period. FAQ's >Are you blind? No, my vision is only impaired in one eye, and I can actually see fairly well with the other. >Does having a brain injury mean you are retarded? Um, no. A brain injury can affect people in different ways. In my case, my greatest challenge is dealing with short-term memory lapses. But I'm neither retarded nor stupid. I am a card-carrying member of Mensa. (The high IQ society, entrance requires that you score in the top 2% of the USA on an IQ test.) >How come you don't "look bad"? I'm not sure it's mandatory to look any certain way just because one happens to be disabled. There are thousands of diseases and conditions you can't "see" when you look at someone. >How are you disabled, exactly? Let's see...I was born with one leg shorter than the other, so I have a pin in my right hip. I also have a rib deformity, a lazy eye (and double astigmatism) courtesy of my genetics. I developed a knee condition as a child (Chondromalacia). I have a heart condition (Prolapse Mitral Valve) and have gone into cardiac arrest twice. I have a tumor in my right hand (Dupuytren's Contracture), mild scoliosis and arthritis. I received a Traumatic Brain Injury, crushed the right side of my face, had a stroke (affecting my right side only), and became partially sighted in a motorcycle accident. I also suffer from a residual condition similar to hypoglycemia stemming from the brain injury, did I mention the memory problems? I have a condition (hyperemesis gravidarum) which makes it extremely difficult for me to have children. I lost my sense of humor in the motorcycle accident, and have not as yet recovered it. Other than that, I am perfectly fine.