Just Shy A Mountain Shadows Holiday Miracle Featuring Resident Nick Badillo |
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Mountain Shadows Resident, Nick Badillo, and Daniel Enciso, QIDP, Mountain Shadows – San Diego |
By Sheryl Wilde “There was a whole magnificent soul
burning brightly behind his “shy.” ~ Atticus Shy. It was the one, simple, three-letter word everyone used to describe him. For many who are ascribed this label, it is a painful, debilitating condition that casts a long shadow upon nearly every aspect of life. In Mountain Shadows resident Nick Badillo’s case, it was, perhaps, almost as disabling as not being able to walk.
“Nick is very, very shy,” says Armonie Mendez, QIDP, Mountain Shadows – San Diego. “He’s shy and quiet. He has his usual spot in front of Pine house and he always has his police radio on. He just sits in his wheelchair and listens to it all the time.”
According to a Healthline report, about 15 percent of infants are born with a tendency toward shyness. Research has shown biological differences in the brains of shy people.
But a propensity for shyness also is influenced by social experiences. It’s believed that most shy children develop shyness because of interactions with parents. Parents who are authoritarian or overprotective can cause their children to be shy. |
Resident Nick, decked out as his favorite entertainer, Elvis Presley, who was also reportedly very shy. |
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“It takes courage for a shy person to open up, so when they do, cherish their words and listen with your heart.” ~ Unknown Recently, Nick had some health issues and needed to be put on bedrest. Then, he developed respiratory issues and had to be admitted to the hospital.
“Nick was scared,” says Daniel Enciso, QIDP, Mountain Shadows – San Diego. “It was tough for him to be in the hospital. And though he was normally quiet, he started asking, “Am I going to die? Am I going to pass away?
“He started talking a lot about his dad who had passed away a long time ago. He said he didn’t really know his dad that well, but that his dad had taught him to pray, but he’d forgotten how. He asked us to pray for him. So, we did.
“I think he was of the mindset like, “I’m going to die. I’m going to see my dad in heaven now.” It was very sad.
“Nick was very brave through all of it. He was scared he was going to die. He has no family, so Mountain Shadows really is his only family. And besides those of us at Mountain Shadows, he was alone. It was a lot. I could tell it was really getting to him.
“And maybe because he was so scared and alone, and he was worried about dying, he really opened up to me. He showed me how he is really thoughtful and very aware of things. Through all of this, we became very close.
Adds Armonie, “Since he’s normally a very quiet and shy guy, I didn’t expect him to be able to verbalize all of this. This made me realize how much he is capable of, and how aware he is of what’s going on around him.” |
Nick and Pine house staff. |
“The flower that smells the sweetest is shy and lowly.” ~William Wordsworth
“Nick just loves the Mountain Shadows staff,” continues Armonie. “I told him they missed him and he started crying. The staff is his family. They would bring care baskets and his favorite snacks to the hospital. They stayed in contact with him and I think that is what helped him keep his hope throughout everything. “Sometimes his tremors would start, because he was so anxious. We patted him on the back or on the leg and tried to reassure him. We kept telling him how much we all missed him, and that all the other residents were asking about him.”
“Nick made improvements and was ready to be released from the hospital, but his oxygen levels were still too low for us to care for him at Pine house,” says Daniel. “We didn’t have any openings in Olive, our ICF/DD-N – Intermediate Care Facility for the Developmentally Disabled-Nursing house, so he was placed in a nursing facility for a few months to recover. It seemed, at the time, like Nick was going to need oxygen on a permanent basis, for the rest of his life.
“The nursing facility just didn’t provide the level of care we wanted Nick to receive. I visited him every week and I’d bring him McDonald’s. I’d Facetime with his housemates and the Mountain Shadows staff so he could see them all. Everybody missed him. They love him. “The nursing home wouldn’t allow Nick to have his electric wheelchair. He loves being in his wheelchair and having that freedom to go and do what he wants to do. Every time I visited him, he asked me about it. “We wanted the best for Nick, so we tried to find a better solution. Then there was an opening in Halbrook house, our ICF/DD-N house in Riverside.
“I was the one who had to talk to Nick about going to Riverside. I had to get his approval. The first thing he said was, “You guys don’t want me back.” I explained things to him and finally he accepted it. He was willing to take that big step. It was scary. He’s been at Mountain Shadows for more than 20 years. But he agreed to go. It was somewhere completely new, far away from everyone he knew and loved. It was a big deal. He was very brave.
“The day we picked him up from the nursing facility to take him to Riverside, I brought his wheelchair. We transferred him onto it, and he was able to drive himself out of the facility on his own. It was a pretty cool little scene. I could see the big smile on his face and how happy he was.”
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Nick and his Halbrook house family at his Going Away Party. |
“When a shy person smiles, it’s like the sun coming out.” ~ Anita Diamant Says George Saravia, QIDP, Mountain Shadows – Riverside, “Nick was really shy and timid at first and we were all trying to be very welcoming to him.”
Adds Heather Van Alstine, RN, Mountain Shadows – Riverside, “As first he was hesitant to ask us for anything or to say if he needed anything. But that changed after a little while. Then, eventually, he would let us know that he needed to go to the bathroom, or that he was thirsty.
“It took a little time, but he developed an attachment to the staff and to the house. He and Tymari, one of the residents, made an immediate connection. Tymari talks a lot. Every day, when he would come home from school, as soon as he came in the door, he was like, “Hi Nick! I missed you today! How was your day?” “They started hanging out together. Nick would be in his wheelchair and Tymari would use his gait-trainer to walk alongside him. They would go out on the back patio and play with the tether ball together.”
“Riverside did a really great with Nick,” adds Armonie. “He thrived there. He really made a name for himself in Halbrook house. They loved him as much as we do. Eventually, Nick’s oxygen levels improved and stabilized, so he was given approval to return to Pine house. He really beat the odds.” “Nick made big improvements while at Halbrook house,” says Heather. “By the time Nick was ready to leave, he was like, “I want McDonald’s. I want a Big Mac and a Coke.” That was a huge difference from when he came to us. He made a point to say, “This is what I want.” “Halbrook house threw a going away party for Nick, and Pine house gave him a welcome home party. He cried at both parties. He was sad at leaving Halbrook, but happy about going home to Pine house.”
Adds Armonie, “When he wasn’t in his usual spot on campus, when I didn’t hear the crackle of his police radio, something important was missing on the Mountain Shadows – San Diego campus. It really made a difference. Everybody missed him.
“Now that he’s back on campus, he’s going to Mary Triplett Park more often, and he been cracking jokes and laughing a lot more. He keeps telling me, “I love you. Thank you for everything.” |
Nick holding his UCP Peter Samuel Horton Award for Outstanding Achievement |
“The shell must break before the bird can fly.” ~Alfred Lord Tennyson
“By the end of all of this, Nick realized that all of us, everyone in the Mountain Shadows family, had come together for him,” says Armonie. “I think that’s the best part. I think it helped to break him out of his shell.”
Adds Daniel, “Since he’s been back at Mountain Shadows, Nick has been a lot more open. He’s more talkative. He’s more of a happy guy now.
“And it’s not just his Mountain Shadows family that has noticed the difference. Nick has been going to day program at United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) for many years, so everybody knows him there. He holds a job there. It gives him a sense of purpose.
“They all knew Nick had gone through a really rough time – in the hospital, then the nursing facility, then in Riverside. And they saw how the whole experience had really changed him. He’s always been a nice guy, just very quiet and shy. But once he was back, and going to UCP again, they all noticed a big change in him. “Nick recently received the Peter Samuel Horton Award for Outstanding Achievement in the UCP work program. They had a special dinner for him. It was a surprise. Nick didn’t see the award coming. When a lady that works with him at UCP got up on stage and started talking – she didn’t say his name – but Nick knew she was talking about him. “He just broke down and started crying. He was very, very emotional about it.
“Since he’s been back at Pine house, he hasn’t been so quiet and shy. He’s been a lot more warm and friendly to everyone. I think he has a new sense of life.
“Throughout all of this, I just felt I needed to be there for Nick. This is not just a job. I felt like, “Oh no, Nick is at the hospital, Nick is at a nursing facility! I have to go visit him. I have to! That’s one of our guys. He’s there. He’s alone. I have to visit him. I can’t help but care about him.
“What I’ve learned in working at Pine house is that everyone is a person. They may not be able to communicate in the way you can, but they still have wants and needs. They are so much more like you than you first think! They are a person who has needs. They need to be taken care of and shown the love that you or I would want. I’m reminded of that every single day that I’m at Pine house.” |
Once shy – now a hunka, hunka burning love – resident Nick Badillo. |
“I used to be shy. You made me sing.” ~ Hafiz
As we approach the holiday season, it is our promise that no one in the Mountain Shadows Family will stand alone.
We came together as a family – the Mountain Shadows Family – during each stage of Nick’s journey. We listened when he needed to be heard. We held his hand when he cried. And we prayed with him when he was afraid.
That’s what we do, Because We Care, and we believe it’s a holiday miracle.
And while Nick’s Christmas wish list may remain a secret, we believe when he whispers in Santa’s ear, he will say, “This is all I want for Christmas – a Big Mac and a Coke. Thank you, thank you very much.” |
The Mountain Shadows Foundation – Because We CARE |
Thanks to YOUR SUPPORT, the Mountain Shadows CARE program provides recreational and social experiences to residents and participants, like Nick, adding meaning and richness to their lives.
It’s easy for you to help us continue to provide activities like this – activities that improve the quality of our residents’ lives in fulfillment of their dreams. Here are some ways you can help ensure these crucial activities can continue for years to come: - Make a one-time donation today by clicking on the donate button below.
- Make a monthly or annual contribution.
- Leave a Legacy Gift.
To learn more about the Mountain Shadows Foundation Legacy Society, to include us in your estate plan, or to let us know if you have already designated Mountain Shadows to receive a legacy gift, please contact Mandy Huiras, Director of Development at: mhuiras@mtnshadows.org, or visit our website by clicking here:
Learn More About the Mountain Shadows Foundation Legacy Society Please share this story with your family, friends and co-workers to help grow our Mountain Shadows Family! |
Mandy Huiras Mountain Shadows Foundation Director of Development
Contact Mandy today to learn more about the Mountain Shadows Foundation and how you can make a difference in the lives of our residents:
mhuiras@mtnshadows.org |
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