A Very Special Reunion

As hard to believe as you may find this, I am posting twice in one month!!!  It's pouring rain outside and a perfect day for blogging.
I am settling in nicely to my three month leave of absence from work and enjoying the time I get to spend with my new roomies.  I wanted to  share this story with you because I think it is important for anyone who works, lives with or even just knows people that have developmental disabilities and want to make a difference in their lives. 

Jim's parents passed away and he was sent to another town to live with his sister and her husband.  While living there he was able to access a program that provided him with meaningful ways to spend his time doing things that he truly enjoyed.  Jim was, and remains to this day a very high energy man that likes to be busy.  He went swimming, snow shoeing and got together with friends through this program and really felt a part of something.
Eventually the family living arrangement broke down and this is where my concern begins.
Jim was picked up with no notice and placed in a special care home 2 hours away.  The program that he was attending was never notified, neither Jim nor his friends and program staff had a chance to say good bye.
Fast forward 10 years. 
Jim is still living in the special care home where he has become quite comfortable. He truly cares for the lady that runs the home but wishes the home wasn't so isolated.  He lives 30 minutes away from the nearest town and 40 minutes away from the day program he attends.  Jim has made lots of new friends at the new day program and has had a girlfriend for many years whom he only sees when at the program. 
I started working at the program last year and since my first day, Jim has repeatedly talked about the old program he used to attend and how he would like to visit.  I asked him why he hasn't visited and he said no one would take him as it's two hours away.  Jim can not read or write so it would be impossible for him to find the information to call his friends or to contact them through email or facebook by himself.
I found the Association online and sent of an email stating who I was and my relationship to the man that used to attend their program.  After 10 years I told Jim the same people are not likely to be working there but we would wait and see if we got a response.  The next morning there was an email waiting for me from the executive director and she was overjoyed to have finally heard from someone regarding Jim.  We set a date for a visit and she was going to make sure all the key people that Jim knew would be there.
I am happy to say that last weekend we made the beautiful, scenic 1 and 1/2 hour drive to reunite Jim with his friends.  There were tears and laughter but most of all a sense of peace for Jim afterwards.  There was also a sense of pride and belonging when he realized people truly had missed him and worried about him all this time with no idea where he had gone except they knew he had been placed in a special care home.  He is now connected with them all as they eagerly opened their facebook accounts and added him as a friend....thank God for Facebook!  Although Jim can't read he knows their profile pictures and gets help to read the messages.

So that is my story for September.  I learned a huge lesson from this experience.  As a person who works with and lives with people with some form of disability I can provide all the necessary day to day care for someone but it's the actual caring about someone that makes the real difference.  I have always found that people I support rarely ask for anything and they don't complain to people that provide them with care because they are afraid of what may happen to them.  I believe it is our duty to ask the important questions and make things happen.  I hope when this life is over I can be priveledged enough to know that I was the answer to someone's prayer.

Summer's End

September already?  What a beautiful summer we have had but the nip in the morning air tells me it's almost time to give up the sandles. 
As usual in my life there has been lots going on with a few changes thrown in to keep life interesting.  As you probably know, Britni moved in the end of March and we had a great summer filled with lots of fun activities and Brit made some new friends when my friends from Ontario came to visit.  I went back to Ontario for a visit in August to check up on my mom and dad and visit with my kids.  It was a great time, especially meeting Brad's girlfriend Brittany and their new baby Jaxx : )... but can't say that I miss that Ontario heat and humidity.
Once back here in St. George, Billy moved in.  I am now an Alternative Family Living Arrangement (AFLA) which is a program here in NB much like the Associate Family program in Ontario in which a person can open their home to assist people with disabilities.  I think this is such a great alternative to having people living in group homes whenever possible.  We are a happy little family of three enjoying life.
For the time being, I am on a leave of absence from the Community Living Center Program and am just staying home hanging out with Brit...Billy just had his gall bladder out yesterday but will be returning to the program next week.  I have some day trips and weekend excursions planned for us to explore this beautiful province which is what I have wanted to do since moving here.


Britni and I did get out whale watching this year when Debbie and Debra were here visiting from Ontario.  We saw lots of seals, a group of whales and many different types of atlantic birds.  We also took the ferries over to Campabello Island.






 

 

Billy and I took a drive with a couple friends in our new van down to Eastport, ME last weekend and discovered it was their Pirate Days festival.  What an array of colourful costumes and a conglomeration of scents and sounds to spark our senses on a beautiful day.  Hope you like the pictures.  More adventures on the way for fall...keep in touch!