This is my cousin, Jamie.   She's an inspiration in toughness to all of us.   Jamie was born extremely prematurely and weighing about 16 ounces in October of 1997.  Against all odds she fought her stubborn little way through all the traumas of being born months and pounds too early.   She has issues common to such prematurity, Cerebral Palsy, mental retardation, vision problems, and respiratory problems that make it very difficult for her to swallow and breathe at the same time.  She has had many touch and go moments in her 4 years, and throughout it all she has never lost her good cheer or desire to live.   One of her most loved activities is being involved with the handicapped riding program in Elgin, IL.   Jamie loves the horses and has had remarkable progress in mobility (one of the side effects of CP is muscle rigidity) since she's been riding.