subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite mapBuy a Classified
Fri, Jan 09 2009 

Published: August 20, 2008 12:00 am    print this story   email this story   comment on this story  

Three years after receiving gift from OU, Katelyn Wilbanks finally on campus

By Julianna Parker

Three years ago, Katelyn Wilbanks was surprised on the Today Show when University of Oklahoma President David Boren presented her with a full-ride scholarship to OU.

Now she's finally on campus, and she said it's everything she wanted it to be.

"I'm a big fan of OU football and I always wanted to work for them so it was kind of a dream come true," the Catoosa native said this week at the Sooner Housing Center where she moved in recently.

Wilbanks was chosen to be featured on the Today Show's Christmas in July special by a producer who met her. The producer was visiting her own father at the church Wilbanks attended in Tulsa.

The producer saw Wilbanks in 2005 shortly after she had her leg amputated at the knee. Wilbanks was born with spina bifida, a permanently disabling birth defect that affects the spinal cord. Wilbanks has had 56 surgeries, starting almost immediately after her birth.

"Most of my childhood was spent in the hospitals or doctor's offices or emergency rooms," she said.

Most of the surgeries were in an effort to save her foot from amputation, so the producer was surprised to see Wilbanks with a cheerful attitude so soon after her leg was amputated.

"She was just kind of, 'Wow, we'd like to do something for her,'" Wilbanks said.

So the producer spoke with OU officials about donating something to Wilbanks for the Christmas in July show. Wilbanks has always been an OU fan, ever since she would watch football games on TV with her grandparents.

Wilbanks and her mom and aunt were interviewed for what she told them was a human interest piece about inspiring people.

"It was like one big surprise," Wilbanks said. "Everybody knew, everybody in Catoosa knew."

Then they went on the show, not expecting to receive such a lavish gift.

"I was most excited that my future was going to have a lot more opportunities," she said.

She said she was very excited, because she had been wondering how she was going to make it to OU with costs so high.

"I probably wouldn't have been able to make it up here without a full ride," she said.

In addition to the four-year full scholarship, Wilbanks was told once she got to OU she would have a job: equipment manager for the football team. That's something she said she always wanted.

Wilbanks started that job July 28. She collects helmets, uniforms, pads and other gear from the football players and cleans them and gets them ready for the next use.

School will start Monday for Wilbanks, who already looked like she'd found her new home Tuesday. She walked around the muddy campus decked out in OU paraphernalia.

Wilbanks said she was told Boren was eager to give her the scholarship because she overcame challenges with such a good attitude.

Wilbanks attributed that positive attitude to the support of those around her.

"I don't know why or how," she said. "I think it must be just the people I've had around me and the friends and family."

Certainly her positive attitude has helped her adapt to her new surroundings. She gushed about all the nice and helpful people she's met in Norman, and the good friends she's already made.

"I had a blast at Camp Crimson," she said. "We're all Facebook buddies."

Julianna Parker 366-3541 jparker@normantranscript.com

print this story   email this story   comment on this story  

Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.

Click here to load this Caspio Bridge DataPage.
Click here to load this Caspio Bridge DataPage.


monster
autoconx
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide

Find a job! Find a Home! Find a car!

Premium Jobs

Busy Medical Office
Seeking Clinical Medical
Assistant. Fax resume to:
364-0502 Att. Debbie
...>MORE

Norman Public Schools
Maintenance Department

• Apprentice Electrician
(Night Shift)
• Journeyman Electrician
(Ni
...>MORE

Career Opportunity
Full-time and Part-time
To work with developmental
disabilities in the home and on the job in a vocational tra
...>MORE

FT RN NEEDED
@ Lindsay Municipal Hospital
Night shift. LMH offers
competitive salary along with benefits and retirement pl
...>MORE

A T T E N T I O N
SALES PROFESSIONALS!
Rebath of Oklahoma
is ready to explode in this market!

Are you driven, self-mo
...>MORE

Broadway Living Center
Has Full Time &
Part Time
Positions Available For
CMA's • LPNs
To Join a Great Team
Offering Co
...>MORE

OFFICE HELP NEEDED
Good PC and writing skills required
Part-time including some weekends
Call 405-615-9581
...>MORE

GET A REAL JOB!
TCIM Services has incredbile
opportunities working with well
Established Business to Business Customers.If you
...>MORE

MAYS HOSPICE CARE, INC.
“The Gift of Time”
We are looking for caring, compassionate
individuals to fill the following positions
...>MORE


Evening LPN
Brookhaven Extensive Care
1050 Rambling Oaks, Norman
292-2273 FAX 292-4040
swright@
...>MORE

See all ads

Premium Homes

See all ads

Premium Extras

Poultry & Small Caged Animal Auction
Every Monday Night at 7pm
Sell your small caged animals and poultry for free. That’s right 0%
Commission! 1030
...>MORE

See all ads


 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2008. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index