‘Never give up’: Woman with cerebral palsy defeats odds, strives to be an inspiration for others

HURRICANE — Born prematurely to a mother addicted to crystal meth, McCall Pace is no stranger to the struggles of life. But she didn’t let that stop her from manifesting her dreams.

A collage of photos depicts different life stages of McCall Pace, Dates and locations unspecified | Photo courtesy of McCall Pace, St. George News
A collage of photos depicts different life stages of McCall Pace, Dates and locations unspecified | Photo courtesy of McCall Pace, St. George News

St. George News sat down with Gina Bell Pace and her adopted daughter McCall Pace, to discuss the highs and lows that make up their family story. McCall Pace speaks to perseverance and her hope to be an inspiration to others.

She said she had a rocky start in life, beginning with her birth mother’s addiction to crystal methamphetamine. She said her birth mother didn’t know she was pregnant and one day started experiencing intense stomach pains. Someone called 911 and the ambulance came to take her to the hospital. To her birth mother’s surprise, she gave birth to McCall Pace in the ambulance. McCall Pace was only 24 weeks gestation at the time, weighing in at one pound, two ounces at birth. She said it took the paramedics in the ambulance 11 attempts to intubate her, in order to start her breathing.

Due to the premature birth and crystal methamphetamine addiction, McCall Pace said she is left with cerebral palsy, which affects both sides of her brain, causing her to walk differently. She is legally blind in her left eye and has tremors in both her hands. She said when she was younger, her muscles were very tight and doctors recommended she get a Baclofen pump, a muscle relaxant pump frequently given to those suffering from multiple sclerosis. This pump was surgically placed in her abdomen and is continually replaced every six to seven years.

McCall Pace was adopted at birth in the hospital by Gina Bell Pace and her husband Jerry 22 years ago. Together, they had 7 children of their own while also being active foster parents, fostering 110 babies in their home in a 12-year period and permanently adopting four.

McCall Pace with her service dog, April 12, 2022, Hurricane, Utah | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

“​​We believed that McCall could do anything she ever wanted to do. She’s never had that ‘why me,’ ‘poor me,’ approach, or even complained about not being able to walk the way everyone else does,” Gina Bell Pace said.

When St. George News asked McCall Pace what her childhood was like, she said that while she was surrounded by good friends and teachers, she also experienced extreme bullying from elementary through high school, which made those years extremely tough.

Despite her health conditions, McCall Pace went on to graduate high school and even went on a service mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a mission that allowed her to serve in the local community for a period of six months. McCall Pace said she did service work within the local temples and family history centers, where she would restore old photographs.

McCall Pace said at the age of 16, she received her first camera, leading to her love of photography. She said she loves making people happy and seeing how each unique photo session turns out. She said she’s aware that many people can’t afford photographers, so she also caters to individual budgets, working within their price range.

In addition to photography, McCall Pace has also sung in fairs and events around Washington County and has been a member of her church choir for years. She has also taken both singing and dance lessons.

“What I find most important in life is to just keep going,” McCall Pace said. “I do all of this even with my cerebral palsy and what I’ve been through. I also have severe depression and anxiety.”

McCall Pace smiles with her mother, Gina Bell Pace, April 12, 2022, Hurricane, Utah | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
McCall Pace with her mother, Gina Bell Pace, April 12, 2022, Hurricane, Utah | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

McCall Pace said she has contemplated ending her life many times and that she still finds those thoughts crossing her mind, but she knows that she is loved and has a purpose, even if she doesn’t quite know what that purpose is yet.

“Whatever you go through, it’s temporary. Find something to live for, even if that something is your dog,” McCall Pace said, scratching her puppy’s head. “It could be for your parents, a best friend, or even as simple as a flower. Don’t give up, because it’s just not worth it.” 

When asked what she looks forward to in the future, McCall Pace said she would love to find a man who loves her for who she is and all that she has been through. She also said many people may not know about cerebral palsy and hopes to be an inspiration, showing that someone with a disability and depression can do anything they put their mind to.

McCall Pace showed St. George News two of her tattoos, located on each forearm. One of these tattoos depicts music notes in remembrance of her dad, circled through an infinity symbol with the word “prom:se” (sic) on the other side.

“One day, one of my friends looked me in the eye and basically said ‘I don’t want you to end your life,’ McCall Pace said. “ I kind of hesitated for a second then looked at him and said, ‘OK, I won’t.’”

McCall Pace said she got the “Prom;se” tattoo with a semicolon, reminding her to keep going even when that’s all she can do. Her second tattoo is in remembrance of her foster sister Brittany, who passed away after courageously battling cancer for seven years.

McCall Pace described her relationship with both her mother and her father as extremely close. She said because she can’t drive, she is very grateful for her mom who assists with rides and enjoys the conversations they have when driving places together.

McCall Pace takes a photo with her father Jerry, Date and location unspecified | Photo courtesy of McCall Pace, St. George News
McCall Pace with her father Jerry, Date and location unspecified | Photo courtesy of McCall Pace, St. George News

“They are a huge blessing in my life for adopting me and having a good attitude with everything I’ve had and continue to go through. If it wasn’t for them teaching me what I know now and having me become independent, I highly doubt I’d be where I’m at now,” McCall Pace said.

Gina Bell Pace said her husband and McCall Pace’ father Jerry, passed away 18 months ago. She said he woke up on his 64th birthday, unable to walk. During a visit to the emergency room, he was diagnosed with metastasized liver cancer that had traveled to his spine. She said he vowed to walk again and he did. While battling cancer, he later contracted COVID-19 and passed away.

McCall Pace got visually emotional when speaking about her father, saying that he was funny and compassionate and would do anything for her. She said if she could sum up their relationship in one word, it would be “amazing” and that she never took that close relationship for granted. When she found out he had terminal cancer, she vowed to make every moment count – and she did. She said her dad would tuck her into bed often and remembers one day when he was sick and in pain. She assured him he didn’t need to tuck her into bed that night.

“I gave him a hug and kiss and said ‘I love you’ and went downstairs. He came downstairs shortly after and I said, ‘Dad, why are you down here? You said you don’t feel good,” said McCall Pace. “And he said, ‘I know, but I promised. I promised that I would always tuck you into bed.’ That was the last time he tucked me into bed.”

McCall Pace said since her father’s passing, photos mean much more to her than when he was alive. Through her photography business, she said she often experiences children and adults not wanting to be included in photos. She uses the example of her father passing away and how much the photos she has of him mean to her, as a way to explain the importance of photos to her clients.

“I want to tell everybody that life is precious and to keep going. I’ve had a lot of challenges in life and I keep going,” McCall Pace said.

To learn more about McCall Pace’s photography business, visit “Photos by McCall” on Instagram. To book a photography session, click here.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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