Published: August 20, 2008 12:00 am            

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

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

        

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