The Inner Light: Lisa Shea New MSF Board Member |
The magical New Zealand glow-worms |
“True goodness is like the glow-worm in this – that it shines most when no eyes except those of heaven are upon it. Julius Charles Hare
Also known as arachnocampa luminosa, the glow-worm is endemic to New Zealand and parts of Australia. Most often found in caves and tunnels, such as those in Waitomo and Te Anau, these tiny blue lights create a magical backdrop as they light up the dark caverns in which they dwell. Their luminosity serves as a guidepost in the darkness for other creatures in the wild – and, as Lisa Shea has shown over the years through her work at Mountain Shadows, we humans too can be a source of guidance to light the way for others. |
Lisa Shea, New Mountain Shadows Foundation Board Member, and former Recreational Therapist at Mountain Shadows Community Homes – San Diego. |
“Lisa did a lot for Mountain Shadows for a lot of years,” says Jan Spain, Physical Therapy Consultant for Mountain Shadows. “She’s been around Mountain Shadows for more than 40 years. She was really instrumental in starting some of the things that are still going on today, like the sit-ski program. She started that.
“She also started bringing the Easter Bunny to the residents. Lisa and her family did that for many years, where somebody in her family dressed up as the Easter Bunny. And I believe her family paid for all the eggs and candies and all that. They would visit all the houses, and hide easter eggs for everyone to find. That was really wonderful.” |
The first Mountain Shadows Floor Hockey Team, which played in the Special Olympics. |
Lisa joined Mountain Shadows in the early days. Hired as a Recreation Therapist, she developed, from the ground up, the Mountain Shadows Recreation Program. She launched all of the activities in what is now a robust program: sit-skiing, floor hockey, attendance at accessible camps (Camp Able, Camp-A-Lot), Circus Day, Easter eggs hunts, Mother’s Day Tea – and many others. “I just love the residents of Mountain Shadows,” says Lisa. “It’s a really good place for the individuals that live there. It gives them a lot of independence. I just love them all. They take your heart.
“I remember working in the office, the COPA, the back office, on paperwork and residents, Renee S. and Michael, they would push their wheelchairs up the hill to come and visit with me. Just to talk with me. I just love them. They were my friends. I just loved them coming up to visit me and talk to me.
“Renee and I had a really special bond. She has passed now, but she was a special lady. We would just sit there and she would tell me stuff. She didn’t speak very well. She had to use the (communication) board. I would spend probably an hour after work, when I needed to get home, spelling out what she was trying to tell me. Renee just shared her life with me. That was very special.
“Whenever I feel like I’m having a hard day, or that my body isn’t feeling good, I remember talking with the residents. And they would be smiling and laughing even though they were in so much pain, or they couldn’t move. So, what I’ve learned from them is to be happy for what we have.” |
The Shea Family brings the Easter Bunny to Mountain Shadows Residents. |
Adds Jan, “Lisa created a lot of fun things our residents enjoy, just like anybody would enjoy, and they really make a difference in the residents’ lives. She’s a very generous person with her time and money, very giving and caring. She is somebody who wants to get involved to better other people’s lives. She’s one of those people who gives of herself to help others.
“She was a very hands-on recreation person. She had good instincts about what they needed. I remember, for residents who were tactilely sensitive, sensitive to touch, she made sensory blankets, where she would get different kinds of tactile things and create beautiful, comforting blankets for residents. She is very crafty and handy. And she would make things like that and that would benefit the residents. I miss her.”
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Lisa and her husband, Richard, have 3 adult children and 4 grandchildren. “My family supports Mountain Shadows,” says Lisa. “We will always support Mountain Shadows because of the individuals who live there.
“The residents gave my family, my kids, a good life perspective – that things don’t come easy for everybody. That we should be giving and loving to all people. That we should help others and be open to everybody.” |
Lisa is retired now, and she says, “The time we have, we spend with our family.”
Lisa and her husband recently traveled to New Zealand and Australia. “It was a trip for my 60th birthday,” says Lisa. “It was phenomenal – the trip of a lifetime. We saw some really nice areas of New Zealand – natural hot springs in middle of forest, waterfalls. We saw the glow worms in the caves and stayed on an island by the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Milford Sound, it was just gorgeous – to see the stars at night, to wake early in the morning and see the penguins. It was one of those trips you’ll never go on again. It was amazing. Amazing.”
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Lisa Shea and her grandchildren. |
Adds Jan, “I think Lisa will bring a lot to the board because she has that perspective of understanding the residents and their needs. She’s very hand’s on so she has a good feel for what will benefit them. She also sees it from the perspective of the employees, the staff, and the consultants. On the board there are people of different stripes, but I don’t know that any of them have been as involved with the residents, as hands on as she has been. So, I think she will have a lot to offer the board.”
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MSF Pickleball Tournament 2024, Lisa Shea, 2nd from left |
Lisa’s hope is to help the Mountain Shadows Board see things from the residents’ viewpoint – to see what residents need for their lives to be better. “I just want to be on the team that helps think of ideas for what is needed to enhance their lives and their living situations. I want to be a support for the residents.” |
The glow-worms’ unique, innate, biological ability to produce light, known as bioluminescence, is a testament to the power of adaptation, a testament to the power of overcoming challenges.
Their luminescence symbolizes the hidden beauty and potential that lies within all beings.
While Lisa normally doesn’t like the spotlight, her true goodness shines through. We believe she possesses a similar type of inner light as the magical glow-worms – and we are grateful for her more than 4 decades of helping to illuminate the potential of our residents. We welcome Lisa Shea to the Mountain Shadows Foundation Board of Directors, where her inner glow will continue to light the world of our residents for many years to come.
“Look at the worms, Eric. See how they glow with life? Like jewels! Aren’t even the smallest lives beautiful?”
— Tim W. Burke |
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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: 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!
To learn more about Mountain Shadows volunteer opportunities, please click below:
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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