Miguel:
Locked-In No More! A Mountain Shadows Superhero
Wins Freedom Through Art |
The relentless fight against crime and evil against all odds. Extraordinary superpowers and abilities. Bravery. Courage. These are the words that describe the superheroes in movies and comic books.
But we challenge you today to look beyond the caped crusaders and the masked avengers, to find a different kind of superhero. He has no cape. He cannot fly. He cannot even walk. And yet, to us, he embodies the true character of the words. |
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Mountain Shadows Riverside Resident, Miguel. |
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When Miguel came to live at Mountain Shadows, he was an angry young man. He would hit the staff. He had violent aggression. He once took a pedal off his wheelchair and smacked his roommate in the face with it.
“Miguel had a cancerous brain tumor,” says George Saravia, QIDP, Mountain Shadows – Riverside. “During surgery, they had to remove part of his brain, and the operation left him in a really bad spot. He has epilepsy, along with a neurological disorder. He also has some speech limitations, which sometimes makes him difficult to understand. He cannot walk and uses a wheelchair. “He doesn’t function quite at the level he used to, and I think he remembers what it was like before the surgery. I think he remembers that he used to be able to function at a whole different level. I think he remembers having a less restricted lifestyle. “He probably remembers what it was like to drink liquids without Thick-It. Every time he drinks something, he’s got to put Thick-It into it. It makes liquids thicker, like a honey consistency. It makes fluids go down easier, because otherwise he would choke. “So, Miguel – I think he remembers.” |
Adds Ruth Hill, previously Director of Nursing in Riverside and now a Mountain Shadows Board Member, “When Miguel first came to us, he had Locked-in Syndrome. So, in other words, his words were locked inside of him. He knew what he wanted to say in his brain, but it didn’t connect.” Locked-in Syndrome is a rare disorder that leaves those afflicted paralyzed, except for the muscles that control eye movement. They are conscious (aware), and can think and reason, but cannot move or speak, although they may be able to communicate with blinking eye movements. “So, Miguel couldn’t communicate with us,” continues Ruth. “It took us about a year of working with him before he could begin to form words and speak again.
“We taught him how to talk again, and for a little while, we almost regretted that. As I said, he was very angry, and his language was pretty bad.
“Eventually we gave him an iPad, then a phone and that really opened his world up a little more. Then he went into psychotherapy, counseling. That was a key to what was going on inside him and it gave him a chance to get some anger out. “ |
Drawing created by Miguel. |
Says Miguel’s therapist, “Miguel is a great guy. He’s intelligent, very creative, and he loves to draw. When he would get angry, I would ask him, ‘How are you going to deal with that emotion?’ He would say, ‘I’m just gonna punch someone!’ And he would make a fist. That was his response.” Combining his love of superheroes, comics and drawing, his therapist utilized an innovative therapeutic approach that used comic books as a bridge to healing. Miguel’s assignment was to create a comic book story to help him work through his anger.
“Miguel’s imagination just blows my mind!” says his therapist. “He used the characters he created to help resolve his problems. Through the creative use of his story, he’s learning to express his emotions more appropriately. “Now when he gets angry and I ask him how he’s going to deal with that emotion, he says, ‘Well, I’m going to start drawing.’ He works his emotions out in his story! And the staff members I’ve talked with at Mountain Shadows have said they are no longer seeing any outbursts from Miguel.” |
Miguel at Comic Con with McQueen car. |
Adds Ruth, “Miguel went to Comic Con in May of last year. When I saw him, I asked, ‘Hey, Miguel, how was Comic Con?’ And he looked at me! He doesn’t always look at me. But he looked straight at me and said, ‘Awesome! It was awesome!’ He said it several times.” |
Miguel’s drawing depicting Ruth Hill and Santa. |
“I saw him again when we came to take photos with Santa,” says Ruth. “Miguel knew we were coming and, after the pictures were taken, I asked him what he’s been working on. He went over to his computer and flipped it on. And there were two pictures. He said, ‘This is you and Santa.’ Obviously, he’d made those pictures just for us. “And he was much more talkative. He was willing to initiate conversation. It was like, ‘Whoa! What happened to Miguel?’ He was out of his room, in the living room, and that puts him out with everybody.
“His artwork used to be a little bit on the darker side, but when he created Santa and Mrs. Claus, it was totally different. It was a real positive shift.” |
Adds George, “Miguel tries so hard to be independent. He tries harder than anyone I know. He wants to get a job. He wants to invest his money. He wants to go to school. He wants to get into an art program.
“His behaviorist found art is a good channel for him. He is very creative. So, we worked hard to find an art program for him. Because of his past behavior, he’s been kind of blacklisted from a lot of programs and schools. But I found a program in Upland. It’s an art school for people with disabilities, higher functioning individuals. “We took a tour over there and Miguel liked it. He’s ready to go to school. He wants to be active. He wants to meet people. He wants to be out there.”
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“Miguel was on a wait list for six months to get into the art program,” adds George. “They don’t accept people with behaviors like Miguel had at all. So, that was a potential hurdle. They spoke to his behaviorist, and we all agreed to monitor his behavior over the course of that six months. “During the six months a lot of his behaviors actually decreased. So, we were able to make the case to the people at the art program that Miguel made behavioral improvements. His behaviors confirmed that. He’s leaps and bounds better than he was before.
“I’ve always respected Miguel’s drive, his determination, his motivation. I’ve been in this field for many years. I know a lot of people with disabilities. Some, I would say, are more capable than Miguel, but they don’t have his motivation. I know people who are higher functioning, they might have a higher IQ, but they don’t have that same go-getter attitude.” |
Adds George, “Miguel has been accepted at the art program and everything is ready to go. I think he would do well in the program. He’d be around like-minded people. It would stimulate his brain. Now we are trying to arrange transportation for him.
“Most of Miguel’s anger issues have been resolved. He hasn’t had any violent outbursts. He’s made progress in that regard. He tries to verbalize his anger rather than lashing out. I think the artwork helps with that. I think he’s in a good environment and there are a lot of things in place that have helped to mitigate that aggression.” |
“I think everybody should admire somebody like Miguel,” continues George. “You have so many people in the world that are given every gift, every blessing somebody could ever ask for, and they don’t do anything with it. They let it waste away.
“Then you have somebody like Miguel, who was maybe on track to have a good life, because if he is this creative now, it leads me to believe he was creative before.
“Miguel had a lot taken away from him, but he is still very determined. He tries. He works hard. He tries to do more with less. I think that’s very admirable.
“People like Miguel get overlooked sometimes. When I talk to Miguel, I realize he’s got something special inside of him. One day, I hope other people will take the time to see that too.” |
“It’s not what’s underneath, but what I do that defines me.” ~Batman |
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 Miguel, 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 continue to make a difference in the lives of our residents:
mhuiras@mtnshadows.org |
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