'Awesome Mary' hopes to share positive message about disabilities on 'Ellen'

Mary White, an 11th grader at Hoover High School, works hard to spread a message of respect and equal treatment for disabled people.

“Everyone is awesome in their own unique way,” she said.

White was born with cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus and has undergone 36 brain surgeries. She makes web videos and gives speeches in which she shares her positive message about living with disabilities.

And later this year, she hopes to share that message from her biggest platform yet: “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” on national daytime TV.

White has obtained VIP passes for a taping of the show in October and hopes that DeGeneres will want to have her appear on the program.

She said the show would be a chance for her to reach people all across the country with her message.

“And I think Ellen will really like that,” she said.

“Especially since October is Disability Employment Awareness Month, we hope that Ellen will want to have her on,” said her mother, Jana White.

The Whites are not yet sure of the date of the October taping they will attend.

Mary White began making videos for fun, under the title “The Awesome Mary Show,” a few years ago, according to her mother.

While running track at Lakeshore Foundation, she showed the videos to Kelly Bonner, the team’s manager.

This led to an invitation for her to begin making videos for the Birmingham-based National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability, or NCHPAD.

Her videos are available at the organization's web site at nchpad.com and on YouTube.

“I just love making videos,” Mary White said.

One of her videos was shown last year at the governor's summit on hiring people with disabilities and won a Silver Addy award in 2017, according to her mother. To watch that video, click here.

Mary White has also developed a reputation as a public speaker, with numerous engagements including Birmingham-Southern College, The University of North Alabama and Mississippi State.

In her videos and talks, Mary White said she spreads the message that people with disabilities are just the same as other people.

“They just talk a little different,” she said.

And she said they should be treated with respect.

“I say don’t tell people they can’t and don't talk to them in slow talk,” she said. “And in one of my videos, I said, ‘I am not contagious.’”

She is in special education at Hoover High and is also active in the SGA.

“She’s a leader at school,” said Jana White.

She does volunteer work including United Ability and The Oaks on Parkwood retirement home, especially its memory care unit, according to Jana White,

“[Mary] has a gift for caring people that is amazing,” she said.

And she also loves to dance, according to her mother.

“She dances more like Elaine from “Seinfeld,” but she loves it,” Jana White said. “She owns her dances. She has fun. She has fun with everything she does.”

In the meantime, Mary White is looking forward to attending the taping of the program.

“I am so excited,” she said. “I really want to get up there and dance with [DeGeneres] if I could.”