Andrea Gardner will talk about the impact MERIL has had on her life during the next Eggs & Issues Speaker Series event Thursday, March 20.Andrea Gardner, who survived a fiery car crash nine years ago, will speak at Missouri Western State University’s Eggs and Issues Speaker Series about the impact Midland Empire Resources for Independent Living, or MERIL, has had in her life. MERIL is celebrating its 20th anniversary of striving toward a barrier-free northwest Missouri for people with disabilities. The breakfast begins at 7 a.m. Thursday, March 20 in the Fulkerson Center at Missouri Western. Breakfast is free, but reservations are required. Call 816-271-5670 by Monday, March 17.

Andrea Gardner suffered burns over 85 percent of her body in a car crash in 2005.

“I never thought I would be here to recount what happened,” Gardner said. “MERIL came to my aid at a point in my life when I needed the most assistance.”

MERIL is a community-based program designed to promote independent living and enhance the quality of life for persons with disabilities and persons who are aging by empowering them to control and direct their lives and thus participate actively and independently in society. MERIL serves a nine-county region in northwest Missouri. J.C. Dollar, MERIL’s CEO, will introduce Gardner.

Since 1988, the Eggs and Issues Speaker Series has provided a community educational forum that encourages the exchange of ideas on current topics. It is sponsored by the Missouri Western State University Foundation.

Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.