Remembering Oliver Collins – Proctor

I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting Ollie through the establishment of QLS Diverse Abilities Network. Ollie was a founding member and though I never had the opportunity to meet him in person (thanks, COVID-19), he made an undeniable impact on me, the members of the network and the community at large.

Ollie introduced himself and shared that at eighteen months old, he was diagnosed with a rare, neuromuscular condition called fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, or FOP for short. He explained that this condition caused his muscles, tendons, and ligaments to turn to bone and for the bone to grow on top of other bone and throughout joints. He shared how this condition results in very limited movement; essentially, encasing…