Patty O'Leary Emry

On the day she was born in 1950 as one of two identical twins, Patty O’Leary Emry’s formidable challenges were only just beginning. The exhilaration of welcoming new life quickly gave way to desperation as doctors discovered that Patty had multiple congenital difficulties. With underdeveloped digestive, urinary tract, and reproductive systems, the prognosis was grim. When the hospital staff declared that the baby would die within a few days, her steadfast parents refused to give up hope, and they firmly insisted that Patty be given a fighting chance—after all, she deserved every chance at life. After ground breaking operations, doctors were able to reconstruct the tiny infant’s digestive organs. It was a miracle that this premature baby survived such procedures, and before long, Patty’s tenacious spirit quickened and flourished. But tragedy struck the family again when, Patty’s twin sister, Catherine, died only three months after being born. Despite the pain of becoming a “twinless twin” and in the face of daily difficulties that many could consider discouraging, Patty rallied and cultivated a robust and outrageous approach to life that has seen her through over twenty-two surgeries in her lifetime. You, the reader, can also lay hold of the transformative power of laughter and positivity in every circumstance. So whether you’re sixteen or ninety-nine, throw off those shackles of self-doubt and despair, put on your dancing shoes, and do the funky chicken on the nearest tabletop—because It Takes a Sense of Humour!