New Mountain Shadows Ash house Resident, Jimmy Laskey. |
By Sheryl Wilde The Saga of Jimmy Laskey
On this Thankful Thursday, we won’t focus on the backstory. We’ll begin where the real Saga of Jimmy Laskey began, on a 100-degree day, in the back seat of a car in a parking lot in Sacramento. Jimmy and his brother, Alex, were found there, after three days of being locked in that car, while his parents partied at a rock concert nearby.
Jimmy, who has cerebral palsy, was 20 months old at the time. He was non-ambulatory, blind in one eye, had 10% use of his right hand, and 70% use of his left hand. Doctors said he would be deaf, and that he wouldn’t live past nine years old. Enter Hardy Laskey and his wife, Sheri, who had been trying to have a baby for years. Says Hardy, “I always wanted to be a father, because I never had one.”
Longing for the connection of a loving parent-child bond, the couple decided to look into adoption – where they quickly learned the realities of the adoption process. They found many adoption agencies, charging fees of $2,000 to $4,000, with long waiting lists.
Hardy says, “I said to our case worker, ‘You have a waiting list of kids that people want. Show me the kids that nobody wants.’ A couple months later, the case worker called and said they had a boy for us. It was a foster to adopt situation.”
The couple then learned there were two boys, not just one, and they were introduced to the brothers, Alex and Jimmy.
“Alex, the older boy, knew that Jimmy belonged to him, that they were brothers, so that was that,” continues Hardy. “My wife and I said we wanted both of the boys. They had to stay together. The case worker said, ‘Why don’t you think about it for a while?’” |
Hardy did think about it, and he remembers the day well – when God gave him His answer.
“I was sitting in the airport, waiting for a 5:30 pm flight,” says Hardy. “The plane was unloading, and I watched as the people walked by. I saw this older gentleman. I was 36 at the time. And behind the man was his special needs son. I could tell he was either autistic or had Down Syndrome, and the son had his hand on his father’s shoulder. Dad was weaving his way around people, leading his son through the crowd.
“I was watching the situation with the father and son, and God spoke to me, and He said, ‘Are you good with that? That could be you. You can be the father of the fatherless. I have two boys who need a father.’” Hardy thought about the two young, abandoned brothers, Alex and Jimmy.
“I said, ‘Yes. I’m good with that.’ And as soon as that conversation with God was over, I went to the phone and called my wife, and I asked her to call the social worker and tell him that we wanted to adopt both boys – and we wanted both of them, or none of them. “When we met with the boys, we asked Alex, the older brother, ‘Would you like to come live with us?’ The first thing out of his mouth was, ‘Is Jimmy coming?’ That was the first thing out of his mouth. I told him we would never leave Jimmy alone, without him. Then Alex said, ‘Okay, I’ll come with you.’ “That’s how it all started.” |
“Life was always an adventure with Jimmy,” adds Hardy. “I always said to him, ‘There isn’t anything you can’t do that you want to do.’ That’s the Saga of Jimmy Laskey, and it continues to this day.” God led Hardy and Sheri to Jimmy, but Hardy admits, “We were ignorant about having a special needs child, but our ignorance was probably a good thing. We didn’t know to say, ‘Oh, Jimmy probably can’t do that.’ We would just try to figure out how he could at least do part of it.” The couple’s “ignorance” most often led them to challenging the status quo – and to the creation of innovative solutions to challenges they faced.
For example, Hardy says, “One day, we were eating watermelon. Jimmy loves watermelon, but the dexterity in his hands was not good, so he couldn’t use a fork. I thought about when kids are young, the dexterity in their hands is not good, so they use those big crayons, so the kids can hold them better. And I got an idea. I had some electrical tape, and I put it on the handle of the fork and put it in Jimmy’s hand. I helped him stick a cube of watermelon on the fork and put it up to his mouth. It worked!
“At the end of the week, I picked Jimmy up from school at lunchtime. They were eating tater tots, and the teacher was poking the food in his face. I asked if they had any masking tape, wrapped it around the fork, and put it in Jimmy’s hand. I said, ‘Eat it.’ And he did! The whole room exploded. They didn’t think Jimmy could do it. I’m not sure they ever tried.” And, when standard diets and medications failed, Sheri, a certified herbalist, developed diets and remedies that kept Jimmy and the rest of the family in good health. |
One of Hardy’s favorite stories is about when Jimmy received a new custom-designed wheelchair.
“I think I embarrassed Jimmy’s therapist,” says Hardy. “They put him in the chair, and it had these side walls that helped keep his torso straight. But it limited his range of movement and didn’t look comfortable. So, I’m sitting there on the floor, looking at Jimmy in the new chair – and the therapist and the engineer were there – and I’m going, ‘Do we need to have these side things on the chair?’
“The therapist looked at me, then at the engineer. The engineer said, ‘Oh yeah, he needs those to keep him upright.’ So I says, ‘Can we maybe just take one side off?’ As the therapist and engineer stood watching (perhaps with mouths agape), Hardy spun off some pegs, and took off one of the side panels.
“So, I says to Jimmy, ‘Try to get the wheel.’ And he grabbed the wheel on the chair, and he was moving, you know, pretty good. So, I says to the therapist and engineer, ‘We need to have that freedom on the other side too.’ So, I’m leaning in and doing the other side, and what does Jimmy do? He falls over. I looked up at the therapist, and she’s like, ‘Yeah, you know who’s the boss.’ “I get annoyed pretty easily, so I looked at her, and I looked at Jimmy, and I says, ‘Get up, Jimmy.’ And so he started this rocking motion– and he rocked himself up! On his own strength, using his own muscles. There he was!
“And the therapist was packing her bags. I think she’d had enough of me. And I said, ‘Thank very much for your time. It’s a very nice chair.’ So that’s how it was.” And, by using the chair in this way, sans the expert-designed side panels, Jimmy’s mobility, strength, and flexibility improved. |
Always wanting to encourage Jimmy to achieve his highest potential, Hardy and Sheri continued to challenge conventional ideology regarding special needs individuals – through big and small actions.
Says Hardy, “I remember one time I got one of those jumper seats for my other son. You know, you put the child in there and they push up with their legs and bounce around. Jimmy was in his wheelchair, watching my other son bounce around, laughing. I thought that was interesting, that Jimmy thought this was cool.
“So next time I see Jimmy’s therapist, I says, you know, because I don’t want to break him, ‘What do you think if I put Jimmy in one of those jumper seats? And just kind of let him jump around?’ And the therapist says, ‘Oh no, you don’t want to do that!’ And I says, ‘Oh, okay, I wouldn’t want to hurt him.’ But the therapist says, ‘Oh no, it’s not that. It’s that he would not be able to do that, and that would make him feel bad, like, ‘Oh, I can’t do it!’ So, the therapist thought I would make him feel bad if I tried it. So, I said, ‘Thanks.” And I went home, and I put Jimmy in it, and I made some adjustments, and Jimmy gives it a little jerk, and this thing starts going, and oh my God! I couldn’t get him out of it! He just wanted to be in there all the time, and he bounced up and down, and he just had a ball with it.
“So that’s kind of the story with Jimmy and our adventures with him. It was always an adventure with him. A couple times we had to cry out to God, ‘What is the best thing to do now?’ But, along the way, we found the way.
“Jimmy was always very determined. At one point, I remember he got interested in the space thing. You could get on some phone line with NASA. He got on the phone and told them, ‘I’m going to be an engineer for you guys.’ They were very understanding and kind with their response. They said, ‘Alright, Jimmy, you will need to work on your math a little more.’ So, Jimmy gets his abacus out and starts to work with that. His mind is going all the time.”
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“We were ready to go to the grave, to do whatever we could for Jimmy,” adds Hardy. “Then, last year, our regional worker asked if we had thought about placement for Jimmy.
“We aren’t getting any younger and, even with all the love that we have for him as his parents, it wasn’t enough to meet his needs anymore. It was difficult just getting Jimmy in and out of the car. You know, we had even stopped going to church because it was just too hard to transfer him in and out of the car. “When we talked to Jimmy about it, he said, ‘I want to have my own place. I want to be independent.’ I was blind to that. I had to realize that he wanted his idea of independence. I understand that now. “So, the regional worker mentioned Mountain Shadows, and when I spoke with them, I had a good feeling right away. I knew in their hearts, their intentions were honorable. When we visited the facility, we were completely impressed. “Jimmy has loved Mountain Shadows since he moved in. My wife and I couldn’t be happier. We’re just blessed to have Mountain Shadows. The move was easier for us, because we felt like we were giving Jimmy into the hands of somebody that can really address his needs better than we can. “Mountain Shadows has really been a godsend for us. It’s a rare place. It really is. It’s a very rare place. “Jimmy is happy at Mountain Shadows.” |
Says Brittin Parker, QIDP/A, Ash and Cedar houses, “Jimmy is a great addition to the Mountain Shadows Family. He’s a very talkative and happy guy. He wants to be of service and help everyone he can.
“He loves to cook, and watch cooking shows. He’s a big dessert guy, and loves making pastas and cookies. This is a whole new experience for him. He was used to just being with his parents and his brother. Now he has this whole community behind him. And he loves being involved with everything on campus.” Adds Hardy, “We’re watching his development and how he’s so excited to have his independence. He is happy as a clam in the sand. It’s a relief to see him so happy. That just makes it wonderful. We’re very grateful it’s gone so well. “I can’t imagine a better place than Mountain Shadows. I can’t imagine better people caring for him. He’s in good hands.
“Mountain Shadows lets Jimmy, be Jimmy. They let him dream.” |
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“I missed out on the intimacy of a father and son relationship when I was growing up,” says Hardy. “I think that’s why my relationship with Jimmy is so deep.
“I knew I would make mistakes. But we’ve got a God that’s big – certainly bigger than our situations – and He’s very willing to reach down and help. And I know there is always forgiveness – and that works out real good.
“I’ve been asked, ‘Would you do it over again?’ And I say, ‘Only if I could do it better.’” On this Thankful Thursday, we are so grateful Jimmy has joined our Mountain Shadows Family.
And as the Saga of Jimmy Laskey continues at Mountain Shadows, we know the continuing story will be filled each day with new adventures – and that will work out real good. “There isn’t anything you can’t do that you want to do.”
That’s the Saga of Jimmy Laskey And all of our Mountain Shadows Residents. To Support Mountain Shadows Residents, Like Jimmy, on This Thankful Thursday, Please Click Here |
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 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: [email protected], 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!
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Learn about Mountain Shadows Volunteer Opportunities Here |
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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