Exceeding expectations: Verdigris grad-to-be thrives with community support

BY SHANNON MUCHMORE World Staff Writer
Friday, May 11, 2012
5/11/12 at 7:53 AM

VERDIGRIS - This year's Verdigris High School prom queen has trouble articulating her emotions, but she knows she is beloved by her peers regardless of her differences.

Keri Weber has Dubowitz syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that is characterized by short stature, distinct facial features and mental retardation.

On Friday, she will graduate with her senior class of about 80, and her grades are among the top 10 percent.

For the past 13 years, she has worked with the same paraprofessional - family friend Suz-Ann Worley, who was recently recognized for her work by the Verdigris school system.

The Tulsa World wrote about Weber in 1999 when she was 5 and could barely communicate with words.

"Her progress has far surpassed anything we could have imagined, and we're just so proud of her," Worley said.

Weber plays on the softball team, sings in the choir and hangs out with friends. With Worley's help, she attends nearly all regular classes.

The community and especially her friends in school have supported her through all of it.

She has a lot of people ready to stand behind her and make sure she's taken care of, Worley said.

"It's not a sympathy thing," she said. "They don't feel sorry for her at all because there's nothing to feel sorry about."

During her time on the softball team, Weber got a hit and caught a fly ball in the outfield. Whenever she got a chance to play, everyone on the field cheered her on, said her mother, Terri Weber.

"When she did something, you would have thought that she just won the game for everyone," she said.

After graduation, Weber plans to work in a speech therapy office and pursue an associate degree in early childhood development.

During the school year, she enjoyed the opportunity to work with young children.

"It's more fun helping them," she said.

It has taken hard work from Weber's family and advocates such as Worley to get her where she is. She still has difficulty with pronunciation and memory, among other things.

She has more skills to learn and hone, Worley said, but it's likely she'll have plenty of people ready to help.

"She's just a very special person in our community, and everywhere she goes she touches lives," she said.

Original Print Headline: Exceeding expectations

Shannon Muchmore 918-581-8306
shannon.muchmore@tulsaworld.com

Associated Images:

Keri Weber, 19 (right), and SuzAnn Worley, an educational paraprofessional who has worked with Weber for 13 years, talk about Weber's life growing up with Dubowitz syndrome during an interview at her Verdigris home. Weber will graduate from high school Friday. MICHAEL WYKE/Tulsa World

Keri Weber, then 5, is seen in December 1998 with her computer at her home in Claremore. Weber has Dubowitz syndrome and used the computer to help her communicate. Tulsa World file

Keri Weber, 19 (right), and SuzAnn Worley, an educational paraprofessional, have worked together for 13 years as Weber struggled with Dubowitz syndrome. MICHAEL WYKE/Tulsa World