“What would I say to Mountain Shadows? Thank you. I was going the wrong way at first. I had days that I would just act up.
But, yeah, I would say thank you. Thank you for not giving up on me.”
~ DaQuan, former resident, MSCH-Riverside |
Daquan, at the Special Olympics World games. |
by Sheryl Wilde
“I got taken away from my family when I was eleven. That was a way out, so it worked for me. I found my way out! There was a lot of arguing, and the police came to the house all the time. It was an abusive household.
It was a foster home and it was toxic as heck. I got tired of all that. So, yeah, that was my way out, and it felt great.” ~ DaQuan
When eleven year old DaQuan came to Mountain Shadows, he was “very neglected,” says Ruth Hill, Member, Board of Directors. “He came to us with no anchor, no sense of stability. His family couldn’t take care of him.
“He wasn’t going to school regularly before he came to us. I think that hindered him at first, because he had not really had an education. Education gives you a view of the world that’s bigger than just where you are living, or existing. I think DaQuan was just existing before he came to Mountain Shadows.” |
DaQuan enjoys the adaptive swim program |
“The first three years at Mountain Shadows were kind of rocky,” admits DaQuan. “I didn’t feel like I fit in at first. And I was going through a lot. I really didn’t see my family.”
Adds Ruth, “When he came to us, we weren’t sure what his capabilities were. Boy did he surprise us! He got into regular high school and it became evident he was capable of much more intellectually than we first thought.
“He could be kind of rebellious at times, but he was quite young, and life was happening to him. Nobody had really been advocating for him to help him improve his lot in life.”
“Mountain Shadows really helped with that,” says DaQuan. “I started going to school a lot. I finished high school! I still have friends from middle school and high school.
“Mountain Shadows really helped me. I had a lot of counseling. Sometimes we’d just talk about things. Then they had a punching bag too. So that worked to get out some aggression.” |
“I worked with DaQuan when I first started at Mountain Shadows in 2013,” says Chanavia Johnson, MSCH-Riverside.
By this time, DaQuan had begun to settle in at Riverside’s Laurel Park house, and was a beloved member of the Mountain Shadows family.
“DaQuan was a great resident to work with. He was outgoing. He loved to joke and play around. He was really just a normal teenager. He liked to have fun, and laugh. He loved to play video games, and board games, and do karaoke. We’d often go out in the backyard and play catch. He was just a joy to be around.” Says DaQuan of these years, “It was great. It was fun. I learned a lot.” He holds many memories close to his heart. Two of his favorite: the Kings hockey game, and Disneyland!
“I’d never been to Disneyland, so I didn’t know what to expect. But it was FUN! I liked seeing the characters everywhere. My favorite character? Everyone says their favorite character is Mickey Mouse, but for me it’s Donald. Donald Duck. I can relate to a lot of things with Donald. He’s got anger issues. I used to – but no more! Mountain Shadows helped me with that. “The King’s hockey game was great. We met a lot of the players, so that was really fun for me. We got out on the ice. It was just really great.” |
DaQuan and Mountain Shadows friends at the LA Kings hockey game. |
Chanavia remembers this special time with DaQuan:
“After he had graduated, DaQuan wanted to go and visit his friends at the high school. We could have taken him in the van, but he didn’t want to go in the van. He wanted to walk. He just wanted to be normal and walk to the school like any other kid. And he said, ‘I want Chana to walk with me.’
“We had to get it approved, because we had to walk on the main streets. We had to go over some train tracks. We had to walk on the sidewalk. We had to walk up to the front of the school. It took time to get it approved, but he didn’t give up. He didn’t stop. I helped advocate for him too. I really wanted him to experience this too.
“So, we got it approved. And, that morning, we got up, got him dressed, and we walked. We went side-by-side. So he was on the side of me, and he just wheeled in his wheelchair. And we just walked. Normal kids get to go see their friends whenever they want. DaQuan couldn’t really do that. But DaQuan made it happen!
“We got a visitor’s pass and he got to spend the day with all his friends. He had lunch with all his friends. Everyone there loved DaQuan. They loved seeing him. Oh, the number of kids that ran up to DaQuan and gave him all sorts of hugs! It was great! DaQuan was so happy!” |
DaQuan enjoys the splash pads |
Adds Ruth, “I remember one time we took DaQuan and several of the kids to Rancho Jurupa Regional Park. They all wanted to go camping. We rented a cabin. There were splash pads there, and they wanted to go on the splash pads. We took them on their bath chairs, because their wheelchairs couldn’t go in the water. That was most fun. We had a campfire. We told scary stories. DaQuan was really into that.
“DaQuan had a sense of humor. I remember when the ice bucket challenge was spreading around the country, he wanted to do it. Janet Steen, MSCH-Riverside, she was totally on board with it. She wanted to be a part of it. But then DaQuan said I had to be a part of it too. That was part of his thing. I had to be dumped on too. He just absolutely loved that. And he was willing to be dumped on too. It was a lot of fun.”
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Prom night with DaQuan and Mountain Shadows friends |
“DaQuan matured a lot over the years I worked with him,” says Chanavia. “He started out as a boy and became a man. He was making decisions for himself, managing his money. I think we helped prepare him for the real world.”
As the years passed, DaQuan held fast to a dream – a dream to be independent.
“DaQuan is very smart. So smart. His mom started coming to visit him, and he began talking to her about moving in with her. He felt he was going to get a better chance at life if he moved out.”
When DaQuan was 20 years old, he moved from Laurel Park house to live with his mother.
“When he left – I’m not going to lie. There were some tears. I did take it pretty hard, because DaQuan and I had built a bond with each other. But, this was something he wanted to do. He wanted to experience the world! But it was kind of bittersweet for me.”
Adds Ruth, “There had to be really good communication between DaQuan and his Regional Center worker and the folks at Mountain Shadows to make it work. We wanted him to be safe. We wanted him to be successful. He worked hard to meet the criteria. Sometimes it was hard for him. Sometimes he wanted to give up, but he didn’t give up on his dream of being independent.” |
Halloween at MSCH-Riverside |
“I moved in with my mom, but then moved out after three years,” says DaQuan. I wanted to go to school, but in order for me to go, I had to figure out some things. I went into independent living and then I got myself into college, and I’ve been independent since.
“Independent living is so free! It’s fun. But there are days when I’m like, ‘Who knew being an adult was so hard?”
DaQuan is currently attending college and has only three classes left to complete to receive an Associate Degree in Political Studies, with a Certificate in Paralegal Studies.
“The reason I want to do paralegal work is that I want to work with foster kids. I was one. I know how the system works. I want to help others. That’s my next chapter.” |
DaQuan visits the courthouse during college classes |
Daquan made a surprise visit to the Riverside picnic this year. “He just showed up and surprised us all,” says Chanavia. “It was such a great time!” Adds Stacy Sullivan, Executive Director, MSSG/MSAS. “It was awesome to see DaQuan at the Riverside picnic. I’m very proud of him for his success. He’s learned to advocate for himself, how to manage himself in the world. He’s a strong person. He’s grateful. He’s humble.
“The people at Mountain Shadows that supported him daily for all the years he was here – they helped him get to this point. But it’s DaQuan. He did this. He’s grown into a great person. He’s living his dream.
“If he had picked a different route, I don’t think anyone would have faulted him. He had a rough start. But he kept persevering over all his challenges. He didn’t let anything stop him. I think people can learn from that. Sometimes people think the residents learn from us, but I think we’re the lucky ones. We learn from the people we support. We’re privileged to be in their world.” |
Adds DaQuan, “To Mountain Shadows, I would say, “Thank you for keeping me on my toes. Thank you for keeping me on the right path.
“A lot of people helped me, but I’d like to say a special thank you to Wade (Wilde). Wade was a positive figure in my life when my dad wasn’t around. He was stern. Very stern. But he came to see me every Wednesday. I knew the pattern of it. And I wanted to see him. So to Wade – and to everyone at Mountain Shadows, “Thank you for not giving up on me.”
“DaQuan was always fun and happy,” says Wade Wilde, Chief Financial Officer, MSSG/MSAS/MSF. “I enjoyed visiting him regularly when he lived at Mountain Shadows. He is quite the success story, growing into his manhood and independence and furthering his knowledge by attending college. I am very proud of him for overcoming so many obstacles to succeed in his life!” |
DaQuan and Mountain Shadows family at the 2025 Riverside picnic |
“Mountain Shadows, we gave DaQuan roots – but we also gave him wings so that he could fly.” ~Ruth Hill
“I think Mountain Shadows helped give DaQuan a voice. We helped give him a voice to become more independent. We opened up the world enough to him so that he could see he could live independently and he could do it well. We prepared him for that, I believe. We opened up the world for him just a little bit more.
“I’m really proud of where DaQuan is today. And I’m glad we had a part in helping him sprout his wings.” But DaQuan did it. It wasn’t us.” |
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The Mountain Shadows Foundation –
Because We CARE |
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.
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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
Please email comments about this story to Sheryl Wilde at: swilde@mtnshadows.org. |
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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