Disabilities and achievements

“And this just showed up in my work e-mail, a press release from MDA:

ATTN: News Editor, Republican-Leader

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Elizabeth Granger, (952) 832-5716,

Bob Mackle, MDA Director of Public Information,(520) 529-5317,
bobmackle@mdausa.org

OAKDALE BODY SHOP MANAGER RECEIVES MDA STATE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 6, 2003 - Michael Buche of Oakdale has been named
recipient of the Muscular Dystrophy Association's 2003 Personal Achievement
Award for Minnesota.

Buche, 38, was selected for the honor because of his inspirational attitude and commitment to his community.

The honor is part of MDA's annual national award program recognizing the personal and professional accomplishments and community service of people with any of the neuromuscular diseases in MDA's program.

Buche has worked as a manager of Carver Auto Body for the past 28 years. In addition to maintaining his career in the face of increasing physical limitations, Buche is also an active volunteer and devoted to his wife Laura and their three children.

An avid sports fan, he spends much of his free time coaching sports teams for his children or other adults, and traveling with his son who is on a traveling basketball team.

Recently, when symptoms of his disease caused him to need a wheelchair for mobility, Buche worked with medical and rehabilitation experts to make
accommodations at his office so that he could continue working and support his family.

Although this transition was both physically and emotionally
challenging, Buche has worked to make the best of things and has become a role model for others facing similar difficulties.

"The achievements of Michael Buche demonstrate the vital community
contributions being made by people with neuromuscular diseases across the country. We're gratified to honor him as Minnesota's MDA Personal Achievement Award recipient for 2003," MDA President & CEO Robert Ross said.

Buche can also be counted on to volunteer for many aspects of MDA. His efforts range from making phone calls to serving on committees, offering his ideas or lending his perspective in an MDA support group. Buche was also interviewed live on the local broadcast of the 2002 MDA Jerry Lewis Telethon.

His experience as a distributor of disability-related equipment has also proved very important and useful to many area residents who are served by MDA.

At age 13, Buche received a diagnosis of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, a progressive disease that causes weakness and wasting initially affecting shoulder and pelvic girdles. The genetic disease also affects four of his siblings. Buche uses a power wheelchair for mobility, and drives a modified
van.

Buche was chosen by MDA's Greater Twin Cities Area Chapter and was then named Minnesota's state award recipient.

One of the state award recipients will be selected to receive MDA's 2004 National Personal Achievement Award. The national honoree will be announced on the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon Aug. 31-Sept. 1.”

“My favorite quote comes from the late Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneersohn of blessed memory:

"If an individual is handicapped, he or she is challenged by Divine Providence to uncover hidden abilities and energies to overcome his or her handicap, and to attain higher levels of achievement than others who are not similarly handicapped.

I strongly recommend a change in the term "handicapped"-and prefer the term "special" or "excellent ones," for it is their excellence that enables them to transcend whatever physical limitations they may have."”