Joni–A Life of Challenge

Hello!  I’m Joni.  I am a movie star now, but back in the older days, I was a little different.  I was seventeen when something happened, something that would change my life forever.

I live near Washington.  My whole family loves to play tennis and go swimming.  I grew up knowing God and how much He loves us.  I became a Christian at fifteen.

Shortly after I became a Christian, I had a terrible accident.  It was on the afternoon of July 30th, 1967.  I was going to the beach with my friends.  I decided to dive into the water, not knowing if it was shallow or not.  I dove in and felt my head hit something hard.  I passed out, and my friend jumped in and rescued me.  She tried to carry me back to the beach.  The ambulance came, and we went to the hospital.

A few days later, the doctor told me I was paralyzed and could not ever do the sports I loved.  I found an interest in painting and acting, and now my life is better.