Omaha Couple Made for each Other

Omaha couple made for each otherBY JOSEFINA LOZAWORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITERNewlyweds Christine and Gerry Kuhlman complement each other perfectly: She is his eyes, and he is her arms and legs.

During the wedding rehearsal at St. John Catholic Church at Creighton University, Gerry Kuhlman reaches for Christine Heine's hand to place her wedding ring on her finger. The couple met years ago through a college friend.Since birth, Christine has been paralyzed pretty much from the neck down. Gerry lost his sight just after birth.But disabled hardly describes this energetic couple.Christine, a teacher, whizzes around her Omaha South High School classroom in an electric wheelchair. Gerry, an academic adviser, uses a cane to navigate Creighton University.They use personality and technology to push past their disabilities.Christine drives Gerry to work, using her mouth to hit buttons that change the minivan's gears and her wrist to move a joystick that turns the steering wheel.Gerry feeds his wife, puts on her lip gloss and brushes her hair."Combined, we can pretty much do anything," he said before they married last weekend.They've also gotten by pretty well on their own.Christine, 34, brims with energy and sass. She grew up as Christine Heine in west Omaha and graduated from Millard South and Creighton University.After graduation, she taught biology at Burke High. But she couldn't hold a beaker or dissect a frog. It was grueling, and Christine resented any help. Even her mom thought she'd quit.Christine eventually switched jobs, to South's math department. She could teach fractions and formulas on her own.She uses a pencil-like straw with a rubber eraser at the end to type and to turn textbook pages. Aside from an aide who pokes her head in to see if Christine needs help turning on the overhead projector or passing out papers, Christine runs the class.Across town, Gerry taps away on his talking computer and helps students pick courses. The 37-year-old has been at the university for almost two decades, first as a student.He grew up on a farm near Petersburg, Neb. He never really needed much help getting around. He had to feed the calves powdered milk and get the barn ready for milking.The couple met through a college friend at a bar near campus. Gerry said his attraction was instant to the petite blonde who drank beer through a straw and cussed a lot.He laughed at almost everything she said. They both loved Husker football and the Bluejays."At first, it was more of a friendship thing," Gerry said. "I suppose back then if you told us we would be together, we would have been like, 'No way.' But as our friendship got closer, we got closer."They dated on and off for years before getting engaged last year.They recently closed on a house they had built near 96th and Harrison Streets. It's close to where Christine's mom lives - where Christine lived, too, until she got married - but not too close.They designed a ranch-style home with a level driveway so Christine could get in and out easily. Inside their two-car garage is a small ramp where she drives her wheelchair into the house.They have a large living room with a big-screen TV. Gerry likes lots of noise in the house. Sound comforts him, especially when Christine's not there. She's always on the go at dinner dates with girlfriends or at Mom's.Christine made sure the house had a huge bathroom with wall-sized mirrors. She needed space near the toilet to get around and a mounted shower chair.She has an opening in front of her bedroom vanity. That's where Gerry brushes his wife's soft bob haircut and powders her face in the mornings."There are certain things she won't let me do," he said. "She won't let me put on the rest of her makeup. I guess that's understandable." (Mom and girlfriends will help with that some mornings.)The house has no steps, except for the ones leading to the basement."We made the basement steps wider so I could carry her downstairs," Gerry said. "We'll keep a spare wheelchair down there for her. But that's where I'm going to keep my fun stuff like my drums so she can't get down there unless I take her."They bake and cook together. A few weeks ago, Gerry needed to bring chocolate chip cookies to work.The couple called Christine's mom for a recipe. Christine read Gerry the recipe while he mixed the flour and eggs in a bowl. She made sure the cookies were brown before telling Gerry to take them out of the oven."I thought, 'How in the world are these two going to bake cookies?'" said mom Kathleen Heine. "The next day, I couldn't believe it. Gerry brought over six perfectly shaped brown cookies."They built balance into their relationship like any other couple.Christine sifts through the mail and pays the bills. Gerry washes the dishes and does the laundry."I'll have to clean a lot more. That's the worst thing about getting married," he said. "But I can do that for her."On Friday, more than 500 people packed into St. John Catholic Church on Creighton's campus for the wedding.Gerry was nervous. His hands shook a little. He stood near the priest, waiting for his bride to wheel down the aisle.Christine's classroom aide sewed her white satin gown. Seven bridesmaids wore deep red satin. Most were college girlfriends who couldn't believe the two finally were getting married.Christine approached the altar, and Gerry quickly grabbed the back of her wheelchair. He maneuvered his body as she turned to face the priest, who has known the couple for 11 years."I've been waiting for this wedding for a long time," he said to the audience.Gerry reached for Christine's hand and placed a ring on her finger.Wedding music revved up. The couple kissed and turned to their friends and family members, inciting a roar of cheers and claps."People think we're the cutest couple ever," said Gerry. "They've wanted us to get married for so long. But I think mostly people think we're a great team." URL: http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1219&u_sid=10141752