Spirited Motherhood

Barbara Hoche makes it all look so easy. The Woodland Hills mother of three recently was named California Mother of the Year, an honor handed out since 1933 by American Mothers Inc. She won for all the expected reasons--schlepping kids around town, leading Brownie troops--and a few unexpected reasons--championing the rights of the disabled, getting those familiar wheelchair ramps cut in curbs.

Hoche made it all look so easy that even her children--now all grown--sometimes forgot their mom did it all from a wheelchair. Paralyzed from the waist down in a 1947 accident, Hoche made sure that she shared the experiences of her kids, from nature hikes to matinees. Opening that world to others in wheelchairs turned into a personal campaign and Hoche’s efforts helped make Los Angeles more accessible to the disabled.

Yes, Hoche makes it all look so easy. And while the trials of raising a family may never be easy, Hoche reminds us all that the right spirit makes them seem less difficult.