November 22, 2016
Happy Thanksgiving!
“Doing things for others makes me feel good in my heart. Many people don’t take the time to help others. Many people take things for granted. Many don’t realize the gifts they’ve been given. We should cherish every breath we take. We can all do something wonderful.”
-Brittany Barnson, Mountain Shadows Resident
Dear Mountain Shadows Family:
On this day of Thanksgiving, as I look back at all we have accomplished over the past year, my heart is filled with gratitude. Gratitude for being a part of the Mountain Shadows Family. Gratitude for the moments that left me breathless. Gratitude for the moments that left me filled with awe and wonder. Gratitude for the moments like these:
When we walked with Marquez:
“Hey, you guys, look I’m walking! I’m walking and I’m going to walk a hundred miles!!!” Tears of joy streamed down his cheeks as Marquez, who suffers from Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy, walked for the first time in 15 years, thanks to an adaptive swim program.
When we painted with Kristen:
Kristen – who has cerebral palsy, cannot speak and is paralyzed except for limited use of her left hand – has been given a canvas upon which to share her voice with the world. As her mother said, “Kristen can’t speak, she can’t dance, she can’t even walk, but she can so something!!! Painting is the one way she can freely express herself where everyone can understand her. She touches people through her art.”
When we listened as Gary spoke his first words:
Gary, whose speech has been severely limited by cerebral palsy, was given a new voice through Proloquo2Go, an innovative communication device application designed for iPad, iPhone, and iPod devices. Gary’s adoptive father said, “It had been weighing on my heart. There was so much more going on inside Gary than we knew. He couldn’t communicate with us. We didn’t know what was in his heart. We care. We wanted to know what was going on inside him. This new communication device will allow us to get to know him, really know him, better.”
When we inspired Josh to dream:
Josh, who has cerebral palsy, overcame abuse and a troubled past after coming to live at Mountain Shadows. He’s now President of the Aktion Club, an organization which promotes community service among the disabled. Josh says, “I want to reach out to the community and help others.” On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Josh was inspired by King’s ” I have a Dream ” speech. Josh’s dreams? To be able to walk, to get married, to go to a football game, world peace and to be a bus driver (in honor of his best friends, the Mountain Shadows bus drivers).
On this Thanksgiving Day, and always, I want you to know that I cherish each and every one of you for all you do. For taking the time to help us. And for all the gifts you’ve given us.
My thanks to all of you – our staff, our supporters, our Board of Directors, and our residents.
Together we did something wonderful.
And that makes me feel good in my heart.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Wade Wilde
Executive Director
Mountain Shadows Support Group
Mountain Shadows Ancillary Services
Mountain Shadows Foundation
