Kelly Christine Marston, 22, is known to her family and friends as an avid plant collector, gamer, a bit clumsy, and a person dedicated to helping others above all else.
She is a survivor of childhood Leukemia, which developed into arthritis and chronic pain. Kelly uses her experiences to advocate for better access at the University of Wyoming and spread awareness that disability doesn’t define who she is.
Kelly was born in Minnesota, but as the child of a Minister, much of her earliest years were spent moving across the western states. She considers Cheyenne her home base.
She described her childhood in Montrose, Colorado, and her cancer diagnosis at age seven.
“In that kind of small town, you don’t get a lot of kids with cancer. Everyone knew who I was. The thing I would get a lot that still drives me crazy is the You’re so Brave. You don’t know me! I could be a wimp! I never felt that as a kid. I was seven, eight, nine and I was terrified the entire time.”
“After my diagnosis, I got on a clinical trial and received high dosage prednisone steroids that had some really nasty side effects.”
Between the ages of 7-9, Kelly experienced osteonecrosis and underwent bilateral ankle graft and knee decompaction surgeries.
“My bones didn’t get enough blood flow and started to die. There was an understanding that this was going to be a lifelong thing because of all that trauma to my joints.”
Since Childhood, Kelly has moved from using a wheelchair to using canes, but still has experienced frustrations in receiving other mobility aids. Kelly is glad to have received her handicap placard this year which made getting to classes much easier, but she believes accessibility is still lacking at UW.
“I was in the library on the second or third floor one time and the elevator shut down. I was able to get down because I can use the stairs, but I know people who would have been trapped up there.”
Insufficient signage, infrequent buses, bad ice management, and faulty door buttons were some other areas which Kelly believes could be improved.
Kelly is currently finishing her degree in Psychology with a minor in Women’s Studies. Her goal is to work within the school system and help neurodivergent students.
She finds motivation in the love she has for her family and friends, and the love they have for her. In unlearning the oppressive expectations of an ableist society, Kelly defines success in a personal way.
“To me, it’s being happy, because sometimes that alone is hard. With everything happening right now, the world is scary. If you can find happiness, that is a measure of success. I like finding a little place in the world for myself where I have people I love, we can have fun, and I can be happy.”
