The True Story of Joni Eareckson Tada

The True Story of Joni Eareckson Tada: The Girl Who Learned to Follow God in a Wheelchair is a wonderful children's book exploring the inspirational story of Joni Eaereckson Tada. It is part of the Do Great Things for God series, a collection of beautifully illustrated biographies written to excite young children about the great things they can do for God. Featured in the back of each book each is a biography timeline. The following is the full timeline featured in this volume about Joni's life. (Click here to download free biography worksheets for kids to fill in!)

October 15, 1949 - Joni is born in Baltimore, Maryland. Her parents are John and Lindy, and she has three older sisters.

July 30, 1967 - Joni dives into shallow water in Chesapeake Bay and is paralyzed. She spends the next two years in the hospital.

1969 - Joni leaves the hospital.

1972 - A family friend puts on an exhibition of Joni’s artwork, all drawn with a paintbrush held in her mouth. Lots of people buy her paintings for a total of over $1,000 (over $7,000) in today’s money). Instead of writing her name, Joni signs all her paintings “P.T.L.,” which stands for “Praise the Lord.”

1976 - Joni publishes her autobiography, Joni: The Unforgettable Story of a Young Woman’s Struggle against Quadriplegia and Depression. It has now been translated into more than 38 languages, and there are 5 million copies in print. (Joni has now written over 50 books. At first she wrote by holding a pen in her mouth; today, she uses a computer program that turns her voice into written words.)

1979 - Joni and Friends (JAF) is founded.

1980 - Joni is released as a film.

July 3, 1982 - Joni marries Ken Tada.

1982 - The Joni and Friends Radio program begins. It teaches the Bible, encourages listeners, and helps people be more aware of what it’s like to live with a disability.

1988 - US President Ronald Reagan asks Joni to be part of the National Council on Disability, helping the government care for people with disabilities.

1994 - Wheels for the World begins. Its aim is to send wheelchairs to parts of the world where many people can’t afford to buy one and to tell those people about Jesus.

2007 - The JAF International Disability Center opens in Agoura Hills, California.

2012 - Joni becomes a member of the National Religious Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

2014 - Wheels for the World delivers the 100,000th donated wheelchair.

2017 - Joni sings “Hallelujah! What a Savior!” at the first Sing! Conference, organized by Kristyn and her husband Keith.

2019 - Joni and Friends celebrates its 40th birthday.

More about: Joni Eareckson Tada: The Girl Who Learned to Follow God in a Wheelchair

In this beautifully illustrated hardback, Kristyn Getty recounts Joni Eareckson Tada's lively childhood, life-changing accident and challenging adjustment to a very different way of life, and shares how God has used her in amazing ways to bless others.

Children will hear how, when a terrible diving accident left her severely disabled, Joni was left with a lot of questions about God. It was easy to trust him when she was healthy and happy, but did she want to follow him now that life was so hard?

As young ones discover how God cared for Joni and how Joni held on to her faith and used her circumstances to love others, they'll be inspired about the great things they can do for God. And they'll be encouraged to be a friend to those with disabilities or in hard situations.