Have you ever found yourself in the situation of having to do everything using only one hand? An injured hand, a really sore arm, holding a baby — all are usually temporary conditions.
But when Rosanna Radding had a stroke 19 years ago, she suddenly found herself to be one-handed in a two-handed world, challenged by simple tasks such as tying her shoes, opening a can or jar, holding something down to cut it and cooking.
She will give a “One Hand Can Cook” workshop and demonstration from 2 to 3 p.m. Tuesday for the UC Davis Stroke Support Group, which meets in Room 3015 on the third floor of the Ellison Building at the UCD Medical Center, 4360 Y St. in Sacramento. Parking is available in the structure next door.
Radding will repeat the demonstration from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 19, at the California State Fair. She’ll be in the California Foodstyle Building 2 at the Expo Center on the fairgrounds on Exposition Boulevard in Sacramento.
“Cooking had long been fun for me, a way of expressing and sharing myself with friends and family,” she says. “Following the stroke, being able to cook for myself and for my loved ones became a powerful symbol of my independence.
“Learning my way around a kitchen again; finding, repurposing, redesigning and designing tools that work for me with one functional hand has since proven to be a tremendous boost to my successful rehabilitation and transition into my ‘new normal,’ ” she continues. “Equally as important, I have taken the lessons of what I have learned from my re-education in the kitchen into other areas of my life and take great pride in living my life ‘re-abled’ rather than disabled.”
For more information, visit www.onehandcan.com or email [email protected].