Author: Ingrid Tischer

There’s No Cure for Gretchen Lowe: A Mother’s Day Card From Alice

/ Ingrid Tischer / Leave a comment

“My daughter is a person. She’s not a chinning bar for me to build my character with. She doesn’t have cerebral palsy in order to teach me a lesson.”

There's No Cure for Gretchen Lowe

Alice’s schoolteacher handwriting greeted Gretchen in the stack of mail that evening. Oh Alice, Gretchen snorted pleasurably. I couldn’t have picked a better card myself.
A six-pack of baby angels were attempting to fly carrying a colossal banner with MOTHER written in a florid script. Droppage was imminent. Put some wing in to it, damn you. Her mother must have sent it right after Gretchen had called about the board meeting fiasco. There was a letter enclosed.
Underneath the card’s summary appreciation for maternal sacrifices, physical and emotional, Alice had written, “Thought you might like to see the enclosed item right now. I think it confirms that we are related. I cannot take credit for why you are who you are but I did have a hand in it. Then again, you were always a rotten child. Not that I had anything to do with that. Love, Mom.
The letter was her mother’s same handwriting.  Cheered, Gretchen set to reading it. It was dated from May 1970 and addressed to a Desmond Wallace, Chair of Fundraising Operations for the National Cerebral Palsy Association. Oh dear. Continue reading →

Mr Ableism Proposes to Dispose of Miss Cripple Using the Sarco Death Pod

/ Ingrid Tischer / 2 Comments
deathstyles of the rich & abled, MALE-PATTERN BS, REGENCY CRIP LIT

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a woman in possession of a neurodegenerative disease must be in want of an early death.

My dear Miss Cripple,
Illustration from Pride and aPrejudice with a standing Mr. Darcy and a seated Lizzie. Illustration now has Mr. Darcy offering a Sarco Death Pod and Lizzy sitting in a manual wheelchair,

Mr Abled’s proposal so enraged her that she could only reply, “You first, sir” when he presented her with a  Sarco Death Pod of betrothal.

Madam, in vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I pity you and plead you to accept my assistance  in hastening your death using the Sarco Death Pod on its Delicates & Gentlewomen setting.

In declaring myself thus, I am fully aware that I will be going expressly against the notion of a healthcare system that prioritizes people over profit, the rights of  many people with disabilities, and, I hardly need add, my own better judgment.

But, as you may have heard, “civil rights” for unfortunates such as yourself are now largely reserved for your demise.  Particularly when a gentleman such as your father has five daughters and only a small income. How may such as he afford to see your sisters wed if you and your costly care refuse to be dead? Continue reading →

Crips Are Dying to Save You Money With Easy Weeknight Euthanasia Policy

/ Ingrid Tischer / Leave a comment
deathstyles of the rich & abled, end-of-life merch
An old promotional graphic for the program, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous With Robin Leach that’s been altered to read, Deathstyles of the Rich and Abled With Robbin’ Leech. Art: Gold logo of The Deathstyles of the Rich and Abled with Robbin’ Leech against a black background. To the right is a doctored photo of Robin Leach in what can only be described as a casual tuxedo look, and holding a glass of champagne next to a table with a bottle of bubbly and a bowl of caviar with a tiered cake in the background and a huge bunch of flowers. Layered on top of Robbin’s face is a cutout of Marty Feldman’s face and a separate cutout of a filthy captain’s hat on top. There are about six flies buzzing about the whole graphic. Text: Two signs are on the wall. The gold one reads VIP RIP “End-of-Life Options & You” in Penthouse. Right below that is a dingy sign reading, No Elevator To Penthouse Stairs Only. Layered on Robbin’ is a bright yellow star-shaped quote, “It’s Champagne lifetimes and caviar deaths here on Deathstyles of the Rich and Abled!”AS SEEN ON NOT DEAD YET! [Editor’s Note: The article below does cut off abruptly. While it’s true that we couldn’t afford the editing to help it continue, this in no way implies that the cut-off was anything but the article’s choice to avoid the indignity of ending “like that.”]

Image Description: An excerpt from one of Cost Illustrated’s articles: “Easy Weeknight Euthanasia Policy With Pomegranate and Baked Meats.” This is a satirical article about how ableist public policy and the Sarco work together. It spoofs the real magazine’s test-kitchen narrative style and format.

Continue reading →

I Want Them to Want Me Because I Will Need Them to Need Me But If That’s Not Going to Work, I Want a Lawyer.

/ Ingrid Tischer / 1 Comment

There's No Cure for Gretchen Lowe

Every time Gretchen saw the DNR forms on her desk at home, a wave of resentment rose. How did she know what it was like to use a feeding tube? Or a ventilator? Or have minimal brain function, for god’s sake? It was like asking an eight year-old to sign up for – or against – puberty.
Choice was such bullshit. It wasn’t really her choice at all. The problem wasn’t too much extraordinary medical treatment, it was the limits of ordinary medicine to worry about, mostly financial. She didn’t have a problem being kept alive through artificial means now – she’d never seen a dollar bill push out of the dirt in spring – so she didn’t see any reason to assume she would resent it later on.

“Dear Valued Healthcare Provider,

“I’m glad everybody’s so concerned about honoring my choices. I choose to have my medical care continue regardless of ability to pay or insurance coverage, deductibles, prescription benefits, or other cost issues….”

Continue reading →