Reflections on
Mountain Shadows Outreach Services Author's Note: As I was writing this story, I recalled reading an article several years ago about a very special disabled lamb. Born with severely deformed legs, the lamb was unable to stand to nurse from his mother. He was rejected by the mother and abandoned by his flock. Fortunately, the young lamb was rescued and, perhaps in an effort to keep him company, his caretakers placed a mirror in the room with him. Over the next hours, then days and weeks, the lamb often sat gazing at his own image in that mirror across the room. It seemed to comfort him, as if the mirror image had become his only friend.
The lamb's rescuers applied casts and splints and began physical therapy. After some time, the lamb, growing stronger, stood on his still shaky, splinted legs. And, as he spotted his mirror-friend across the room, he bowed his head, and readied himself to charge. His steadfast friend in the mirror matched his bow, and the two shakily charged forth, gently butting heads. Thankfully, the playful mirror friends were unharmed. Today, the little lamb, once abandoned and left to die, is walking, and has joined a special needs herd, where he can live the life he was meant to - happy and free - with a flock of his friends. Perhaps, as the story of Mountain Shadows Outreach Services (MSOS) participant, Annie, demonstrates below, if we look closely into the mirror of life, we will see that no matter the reflection, animal or human, abled or disabled, deep within the heart, we are all very much the same. |
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By Sheryl Wilde
"Annie has very few pleasures in her life,” says her mom, Dolores. “Music is one. And going to Mountain Shadows Outreach Services is another.”
“It’s just Annie and me at home. I care for her 24/7. Annie is 38 years old. She has Cerebral Palsy and she can’t take care of herself at all. She can sit up. She crawls. And she can pull herself up. My heart just goes out to her because she can’t tell me what she’s going through.
“She really loves Sesame Street songs, especially the Alligator King. She loves it when I sing it in her ear, but we only do that in private. I can tell when she likes a song because she’ll start making noises and laughing. One of her favorite toys is a little lamb. She just loves it!
"Spending time at Outreach is really beneficial for her. I think it enriches her life. For her to be exposed to other people socially, I think that’s good for her.
“And I love Annie to death, but I sometimes I just need a break. I’m sure she feels the same about me. She probably thinks, “I see this woman all day!” So, I think Outreach benefits us both in that way. "I don’t know what I would do without Outreach." |
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“Annie is such a joy to have at Outreach!" says Martha Cannon, MSOS Program Assistant. "And her mom enjoys having her time off when Annie is with us too. “Each participant at MSOS has an individualized service plan with certain objectives and goals. One of Annie’s goals is to take more steps when she walks. So, when Annie first comes in, we start by doing her walking program. She has a two-person walking program, so we do side-by-side walking. She takes anywhere from 6 to 10 steps, and then we take her back to her chair.
“She also has a goal to use a switch device. When she taps on it, that means yes. If she doesn’t tap, it means she’s not interested. Another goal is for her to engage more with her peers, so we try to arrange groups where there’s someone she can engage with. Annie can’t talk, but she can acknowledge by moving her head, or by making sounds to let you know she’s listening.
“When she first came to Outreach, Annie wasn’t engaging with others very much. She didn’t want anyone to touch her. It was new to her. Now she will tolerate more. You can see it in her face. Before she was really quiet, and we would have to try so hard to get a smile out of her. We would sing to her just to see if we could get a smile out of her. Now it’s not as difficult to get the smile. And she’s taking more steps!
“Annie is always happy when she comes to Outreach. And Dolores is happy with what we do here at Outreach with Annie.
“One day Dolores sent me some photos of the artwork Annie did at Outreach. She hangs all of Annie’s arts and crafts up in her home." One piece of Annie's artwork is particularly special - that of the lamb below, much like her favorite toy. |
“It brings me joy to see participants, like Annie, come into Outreach," says Frank Salas, MSOS Program Supervisor. "There’s excitement on their faces when they come in. "When the Mountain Shadows buses pull up in front of Outreach, the participants are laughing. They are excited to be here. What better way is there to start your morning than to see that? That brings me joy.
“When they are here at Outreach, we get to know them. It’s true! They become like family.
“I have three kids. I believe I have patience and treat everybody how I want to be treated. My son goes to school. I want his teacher to treat him nice, to treat him fairly. I want him to be safe. I do the same for our participants. I want to make sure this is a safe space for them, that they are able to make the choices they want to make, with assistance. I think about that. My children, when they are in school, I want the best for them. I want the best for our participants too."
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Adds Flor Angel, MSOS Director, “Our day program has a very high reputation. We have a huge wait list of people who want to attend our program. Right now, it’s over 50 people. We’re one of the premier programs in North County.
“Many of the people we support often have profound, multiple disabilities. At least half of our participants are two-person assisted mechanical lift transfers, so we need two people to use the mechanical lift to change them or provide personal care. We have a team dedicated to just that. That’s all they do. That sets us apart. “Nursing is a huge component to what we do. A lot of people on our waiting list need nursing services. Our nurse, RJ, is the perfect fit. We want our participants to be happy and to be healthy."
"It's just heartwarming to be a part of the participants' daily activities," says Rhesajane (RJ) Whitaker, LVN. "It's rewarding just to be here for them when they need help. I don't feel like, 'Oh no! I have to go to work today!' It's never like that. I always look forward to being here every day. Some participants are non-verbal, but when they see your face, their face just lights up. It just lights up. I know I belong here at Outreach and I will be here for a very long time."
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“Each staff member is specifically trained on each of our participants specific needs," adds Flor. "We don’t just train someone on g-tubes in general. Everyone has to be trained specifically on each participant, to meet the needs of each individual participant. That’s why our quality of care is so great. “When participants need to be offloaded from their wheelchairs every hour, we are able to do that, because we have the mechanical lifts and we have the trained staff to do it.
“We also accommodate hydrations, nutrition needs, medication administration, catheter care, skin integrity issues, oxygen needs, seizure disorders, and nebulizer treatments. There is a big need in our community for programs like this." |
Says Martha, “In order to be here at Outeach, you have to have a heart. That’s where it starts. If you have a heart, it will come through, and the participants will be happy coming to MSOS.
“What I love about Outreach is the fact that we can make our participants happy. The participants mean a lot to me. They are really important to me. They give us a smile in the morning. How can you not feel the warmth and love in that?
"The fact that I can bring joy to an individual makes my day. Even when I’m not at work, I want to be at work, because they show us so much love, in so many different ways. That’s the most important part to me. Just feeling the love from them. And knowing that we’re doing the right thing here." |
The MSOS staff, from left to right: Rhesajane (RJ) Whitaker, Rachel Duenas, Flor Angel, Martha Cannon, and Frank Salas. |
The lamb is a symbol of innocence and purity - a symbol of new hope, and of triumph over adversity.
As the little disabled lamb triumphed over his challenges and found a new home and flock - a community of friends - so too has Annie.
At Mountain Shadows Outreach Services, our mission is reflected in the smiles and joy in our participants' faces as we support them in living their best possible lives despite any form of adversity. And we do it all together ... as a community ... as the Mountain Shadows Family. |
You can still help support our MSOS "It's NOT Just Lunch" program by clicking this link:
Donate to help our MSOS Participants like Annie today!
Here's how YOUR donation to our "Take a Resident to Lunch" Program will help our participants:
MSOS has six custom-designed, fully accessible buses. Three residents, one staff member, and a driver, can go on one bus. So, on a perfect day, 18 residents can be out in the community - finally getting back to who we are after COVID! Your donations will be used for lunch, or the participants' choice of activity or special items. - Lunch for One, or Participants' Choice of Activity or Special Item- $25
- Lunch for Three, or Participants' Choice - $75
- Lunch for Three, plus MSSG staff, or Participants' Choice - $100
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Lunch or Participants' Choice for 18 - $450
- Other donation amount
Please donate now! |
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 Annie, 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! |
Mandy Huiras Mountain Shadows Foundation Director of Development
Contact Mandy today to learn more about the Mountain Shadows Foundation and how you can make a difference in the lives of our residents:
mhuiras@mtnshadows.org |
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