WHEN I WAS A LITTLE GIRL I SUFFERED WITH ASTHMA AS LONG AS I COULD REMEMBER AND I CAN REMEMBER AS FAR BACK AS FOUR YEARS OLD. I COULD NEVER PLAY WITH THE OTHER CHILDREN BECAUSE PHYSICAL PLAYING WOULD CAUSE ME TO HAVE AN ASTHMA ATTACK AND ONCE THAT HAPPEN I WOULD BE SICK FOUR OR FIVE DAYS. THE ONLY GAMES I COULD PLAY
WOULD BE SETTLED GAMES LIKE JACKS OR CHECKERS I SUFFERED REALLY BAD EACH TIME I GOT SICK BECAUSE YOU ARE FIGHTING FOR EACH BREATH THAT YOU TAKE. DURNIG THAT TIME MY PARENTS DIDN'T BELEIVE IN DOCTORS AND BESIDES THAT THEY COULDN'T AFFORD TO TAKE US TO THE DOCTOR SO MY PARENTS DID THE BEST THEY COULD THEMSELVES BY USING OLD REMEDIES LIKE RUBBING ME DOWN WITH VICKS VAPOR RUB AND PUTTING GREEN HORSE APPLES UNDER MY HEAD WHILE I SLEPT. I SUPPOSE THE SMELL THAT CAME OFF WAS SUPPOSE TO HELP MY BREATHING. I CAN'T SAY THAT IT HELPED BUT IT WAS A STRANGE SMELL THAT MADE ME FEEL SICK AT MY STOMACH AND IF I THINK ABOUT IT NOW I CAN STILL REMEMBER THAT SMELL TO THIS DAY BUT I CAN'T DESCRIBE IT BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER SMELLED ANYTHING THAT SMELL LIKE THAT.
I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS FIVE YEARS OLD MY DAD TRIED ONE OTHER THING. HE STOOD ME UP TO AN OLD OAK TREE THAT WAS THREW GROWING AND CUT A SMALL AMOUNT OF MY HAIR OUT AND DRILLED IT INTO A TREE AND SAID WHEN I OUTGROW THAT SPOT MY ASTHMA WOULD GO AWAY. I WAS A WISE LITTLE GIRL AND ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS. I ASK MY DAD HOW DID HE KNOW TO DO THIS AND HE SAID HE SAW IT DONE WHEN HE WAS GROWING UP. I HAD A YOUNGER BROTHER THAT ALSO SUFFERED WITH ASTHMA AND ONE DAY HE GOT REALLY SICK AND I ALSO WAS SICK. MY BROTHER WAS SO SICK MY PARENTS HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO TAKE HIM TO THE DOCTOR, THEY TOOK ME ALSO. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME ANYONE IN OUR FAMILY HAD EVER BEEN TO A DOCTOR, MY PARENTS HAD TEN CHILDREN AT THIS TIME AND ALL WERE BORN AT HOME. DURNING THIS TIME WE WAS LIVING IN NEW CASTLE , KY. ON A FARM. WE ARRIVED AT THE DOCTOR AND HE TOOK MY BROTHER IN FIRST. HE WAS ELEVEN MONTHS OLD. THE DOCTOR GAVE HIM A SHOT OF SOME KIND AND TOLD MY MOM TO TAKE HIM HOME AND FEED HIM ANYTHING SHE WANTED TO. I LOOKED AT MY BROTHER AND HE LOOKED LIFELESS . MY MOM ASK THE DOCTOR WHAT WAS WRONG WITH HER BABY? THE DOCTOR SAID"AW" IT'S JUST THE REACTION FROM THE SHOT. THE DOCTOR HANDED ME A STICK OF GUM AND SAID COME ON. I TOOK THE GUM AND TOLD MY PARENTS THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE NO SHOT, I BEGGED " PLEASE" DON'T LET HIM GIVE ME NO SHOT SO MY PARENTS TOLD THE DOCTOR IF SHE DON'T WANT A SHOT THEN SHE DON'T HAVE TO TAKE ONE. WE LEFT THE DOCTORS OFFICE AND HEADED HOME. AS I LOOKED AT MY BROTHER HE WAS STILL LIFELESS, NO MOVING OR CRYING OR ANYTHING. AS SOON AS WE GOT HOME AND WALKED INTO THE HOUSE MY BROTHER DIED. I SAID YOU SEE WHY I DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE A SHOT, I PROBABLY WOULD BE DEAD TO. WE HAD HIS FURNEAL AT OUR HOMETOWN CHURCH IN GREEN- COUNTY, KY. AND HE WAS BURIED IN OUR FAMILY CEMETARY.
ONE MONTH AFTER THE FURNEAL MY MOM HAD ANOTHER BABY WHICH WAS A GIRL. MY MOM WAS EIGHT MONTHS PREGNANT WHEN MY BROTHER DIED. MY PARENTS NOW HAVE HAD ELEVEN CHILDREN WITH NINE LIVING AND TWO DEAD. I HAD ONE SISTER THAT DIED BEFORE I WAS BORN. TWO MONTHS AFTER THE FURNERAL AND THE THE BIRTH OF MY LITTLE SISTER AMBER MY PARENTS DECIDED TO MOVE FROM THE FARM AND TO MOVE TO ELIZABETHTOWN, KY. WE MOVED INTO A TWO BEDROOM HOUSE NEXT DOOR TO A CEMETARY. ONE NIGHT MY OLDER SISTER LISA CAME OVER AND WE HEARD SOUNDS COMING OUT OF THE CEMETARY SAYING BOOMIE,BOOMIE, AND MY SISTER BEGIN CALLING ME THAT. I CRIED AND TOLD HER NOT TO CALL ME THAT BUT SHE DID ANYWAY AND STILL DO TO THIS DAY. WHILE LIVING THERE I REMEMBER THIS CHURCH AS I WAS TOLD WAS CALLED HOLY ROLLERS.THEY WERE HAVING BIBLE SCHOOL AND THEY WAS GOING AROUND PICKING UP CHILDREN THAT WANTED TO GO. FOR SOME REASON I ASK MY PARENTS IF I COULD GO. I HAD NEVER BEEN TO A HOLY ROLLER CHURCH BEFORE ONLY A BAPTIST CHURCH. WHEN I WENT I REMEMBER THE OTHER CHILDREN AND I WAS ON OUR KNEES, I SUPPOSE WE WERE SUPPOSING TO BE PRAYING BUT I DON'T THINK I WAS. I ALSO REMEMBER THE TEACHER LOOKING DOWN AT ME SMILING AND THERE EAS INSTRUMENTS PLAYING AND AFTER THAT WE ATE COOKIES AND DRINK KOOL-AID. BIBLE CLASS WAS THEN DISMISSED AND WE WAS TAKEN BACK HOME. I NEVER WENT TO THAT TYPE CHURCH AGAIN NOT SAYING THAT ANY- THING WAS WRONG WITH IT.