MSCH-San Diego resident, Craig. |
In the Potter’s Hands: Mountain Shadows Resident, Craig Kleeberger |
by Sheryl Wilde “Life is not always easy, and it may not be what you had in mind, but everything in life molds you into the
person you become.”
“At this point in my life,” says Corky Kleeberger, Craig’s mom, “I am so thankful that I had Craig. When you are helping someone achieve, and making their life happier and more productive, I think it’s a blessing.
“Craig helped me to be able to see the world in a better way. That’s why I feel thankful for him. He made me a better person, for sure.” |
Would I be able to handle a disabled child? Corky continues, “I remember when I was still carrying Craig. He hadn’t been born yet. I was at the beach, and there was a family that was sitting in front of me on the sand. They had a disabled child. “And I thought to myself, ‘I wonder if I would be able to handle that if it happened to me?’ And my answer was clear – I didn’t think I would be able to handle it. “In hindsight, I think I was being prepared for having Craig.” |
Craig enjoying a day in the park. |
You just love them. Craig suffered from oxygen deprivation during birth. He has cerebral palsy and the mental capacity of a three year old.
“I’ve always thought it was interesting — that experience on the beach.” says Corky. “I didn’t think I could handle having a disabled child, but – it’s hard to explain.
“I do have to say it was hard the first few months. At first I thought, ‘What’s wrong with me that I have a disabled child?’ And you think everyone’s pointing their finger at you, making fun of you. But the child just becomes a part of you. You just accept it and don’t think that much about it. You just love them.””
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Craig tearing into a birthday present. |
Corky adds, “Craig was at home with us until he was 18 years old. He was always a very happy child – a happy go lucky kid. We had a pool and he had a little floater. He loved that. We did a lot of camping. We wanted to be sure he had a normal childhood as much as possible. I hope we did that for him.
“Birthdays were always special for Craig. We’d all celebrate together. He just loved it. He’d take his presents and rip them open, then throw the presents away! He just loved opening the packages. That was the fun part for him.” |
Craig as the Gingerbread Man |
“It was a really difficult decision to put Craig at Mountain Shadows,” continues Corky. “We were at a neighbor’s party and someone told us about Mountain Shadows. They were just opening.
“Craig was 18 and I thought to myself, ‘You know, all the other kids go away to college at this time in their life. My thought was that he would be able to enjoy things he wouldn’t be able to do at home. And he would be in a setting with others of similar abilities. That was my reasoning for deciding to move him into Mountain Shadows. “Craig was one of the first ones to move into Mountain Shadows. And he has had wonderful care there ever since.” |
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Craig’s birthday with his favorite shaker toy |
Adds Teresa, Craig’s sister, “Craig was a big part of our family. We all took turns caring for him. We all helped feed him.
“Our family was very active and his disability didn’t keep us from doing things. Craig loved music. I played the flute in high school, and when I would practice, he would come from wherever he was in the house, and sit right there with me while I was practicing. He was my companion. We had a special bond. We still do.” |
“My dad was always very supportive of Craig,” adds Teresa. “Craig was special to him. He made sure Craig was included in everything we did.
“While Craig was happy go lucky as a child, in his 30’s or 40’s, he began to lose his tolerance for some things. If he got upset, he would reach out and grab you. My dad could always calm him down. He was very good at saying soothing words and he had a lot of patience with Craig. “I think that’s one of the things I’ve learned from Mountain Shadows. We would just think Craig was lashing out, not really realizing there was a reason for it.”
Says Daniel Enciso, MSCH-San Diego, “Craig has been at Mountain Shadows for a very long time. We know what he likes and what he doesn’t like. He has preferred staff members that he absolutely loves. Those staff members work with him all the time.
“Craig is a really sweet guy. He gets into these laughing moods and that just puts a smile on your face. He likes to hold his shaker toy all day. He has a little butterfly-shaped one that is his favorite. He dressed as the Gingerbread Man last Halloween, that was really fun. “When his sister, Teresa, is here, he gets so happy! At home, he hangs out with his dog, Oreo.” |
Craig and his dad and mom |
Says Bitsy, MSCH-San Diego, ” I learned from Craig to have patience. It took me a while to get to know him. Each day I had to learn something new from him. Like there is a certain way you have to get him up in the morning – not like any other resident. “And when Teresa is coming to visit, that changes his whole world! He’s laughing and clapping. She really loves him. And he loves her.” |
Teresa adds, “We all wanted Craig to stay with the family, but we recognized caring for him was too difficult. And Mountain Shadows was a good opportunity to set Craig up for a better future.
“All these years, we’ve been confident that Craig is in good hands at Mountain Shadows. It’s a wonderful organization.“ |
“Having Craig in our family gave us more compassion, more sensitivity to the disabled, and a certain level of comfort with the disabled that others might not have,” says Teresa.
“We grew up in a big family having to help each other out – and with Craig we learned to work together even more, to be aware of other people’s needs even more. He really contributed to us all being better people.
“What a blessing. Craig has enriched our lives in ways we cannot even express. He’s made our lives richer, deeper, and more meaningful.” |
Craig and his sister, Leah. |
“Faith has always been a driving force in our family,” adds Teresa. “We have tried to instill that with Craig. We don’t know how much he understands, and that has been a concern for us.
“My dad was a man of faith. And I know for him, this would have been the most important thing – that Craig is recognized as a part of our family that loves God, and that he shares our love of Jesus. And that we believe he will be in heaven with us.
“Our faith is something that has formed a lot of what we do in our lives. And it is something we all take comfort in.” |
The Potter’s Hands An old potter’s hands know the secrets of the clay: the cracks are not defects – they are where the light shines in. As the potter molds the bowl, loving it into form, he gently reveals the imperfect beauty of what it is meant to be – and he fills the cracks with gold. |
At Mountain Shadows, we believe that true beauty is not the absence of perceived flaws, but the presence of a hand that refuses to discard them.
We find beauty in the unexpected and celebrate our uniqueness. “Life is not always easy, and it may not be what you had in mind, but everything in life molds you into the person you become.” We fill our challenges with gold and let them shine – and our lives become a mosaic of golden seams, woven together to tell our story of the Mountain Shadows Family. |
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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