Have you ever wondered what God is thinking when choosing the mothers of precious, disabled children, like Kara, above?
As we celebrate the mothers of Mountain Shadows, we believe it may be something like this: And God thought: “Here is a woman whom I will bless with a special needs child. She doesn’t realize it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take for granted a ‘spoken word’. She will never consider any ‘step’ ordinary. “If her child says “Momma” or takes a step for the first time, she will be present at a miracle, and she will know it.
“I will allow her to see clearly the things I see … ignorance, cruelty and prejudice … and it will allow her to rise above them.
“She will never be alone. I will be at her side, every minute of every day of her life, because she is doing God’s work, as surely as if she is here by my side.” ~ modified from Erma Bombeck
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Double Your Donation for Kara! Today, in celebration of the mothers of Mountain Shadows, we share the story below of Patricia, and her daughter, Kara – a story about a special kind of love … and a special kind of place that may be even better than the Happiest Place on Earth. All this month, we are honoring our Mountain Shadows mothers.
For every “Kara”, there are 2 residents who have no mothers, no family, other than their Mountain Shadows Family.
For the motherless children, we are the ones who bake them Oreo cookie birthday cakes. We are the ones who embrace them when they “just need to cry”. And we are the ones who share their secret dreams – and Mickey Mouse crushes.
Your support will help us continue to provide loving care for all of their needs. Even those who aren’t fortunate enough to have a mother like Patricia.
And thanks to Portia Bibb’s generous pledge to match up to $10,000, your donation to the Mountain Shadows Foundation will be doubled!
If you make a one-time donation today of $150 or more, not only will your donation be doubled, you will also receive a FREE set of handmade cards, featuring artwork by our Mountain Shadows Outreach Services participants.
Please help us reach our goal of $10,000 in donations today!
Click here to see the beautiful greeting cards handmade by our MSOS participants.
Please click here to have your donation DOUBLED today. |
by Sheryl Wilde
“Kara wasn’t diagnosed at birth,” says Patricia Munson, Kara’s mother. “It was 40 years ago, and even though she had a small head size, they couldn’t figure it out. They didn’t even have a test to diagnose her condition.
“By the time she was eight months old, she was losing so much weight. She was getting so thin. She was actually starving because she couldn’t keep food down.
“She was in the hospital, but they couldn’t really do anything for her. They said, “We think she might have this syndrome, but we’re not sure. They sent her home and said, “She won’t live to be three years old. She will pass away before she’s three, because she can’t keep her food down.” |
Eventually, Kara was diagnosed with Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS), a rare genetic disorder, and, at 18 months, she received a surgery that saved her life.
“Kara had fundoplication surgery,” says Patricia. “A lot of doctors wouldn’t do the surgery. At the time, it was a pretty complicated surgery. Kara has a huge scar. But the surgery worked, and we were just thrilled. Just thrilled. She’s done so well.
“And after the surgery was done, Kara was so happy! We were visiting a woman’s house, and I had an Oreo cookie in my hand. Kara has always loved Oreo cookies, but she couldn’t keep them down before. So, she just snuck up and grabbed the cookie out of my hand and just stuffed it in her mouth! “Kara still loves Oreo cookies to this day. And now, every year, she has to have an Oreo cookie birthday cake.” |
“Kara has many of the characteristics of CdLS,” add Patricia. “She has a small head size, small stature, crooked fingers, slow mental development. She started reading when she was about 12 or 13 and she reads at a first-grade level now.
“Up until she was about 10 years old, she couldn’t answer questions. If we asked her a question, she would just repeat the question back to us. Even now, we’ll ask, “What did you have for dinner?” And she’ll say, “Yeah, yeah.” She doesn’t always get that it’s a question or know how to answer it.” |
“Kara and her dad were really close,” continues Patricia. “He was always a strong advocate for her. He was on the Board of the CdLS Foundation and went to all the meetings.
“He would come home for lunch and they would have lunch together. One of their favorite things was to watch World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) together. They watched all kinds of crazy shows together.
“Kara and her dad were so, so close. One of the special times they shared was Christmas. Kara always loved Christmas and so did her dad.
“When Kara lost her dad it was hard. He was at home, in hospice. He had colorectal cancer. So, he died at home, during the night. When Kara woke up the next day, her dad was gone. He passed away on December 2nd.” |
“After her dad passed away, I took the whole family to Disneyland on Christmas Day,” says Patricia. “It was the first time we’d gone to Disneyland as a family. I told them, “I want you all to know we’re still a family, even though your dad is gone. We will always still be a family.
“It was really hard for Kara. She was sitting in the middle of Disneyland, on Main Street. It was a beautiful day. So beautiful. And she was sitting there crying her eyes out.
“I said, “Kara, look how beautiful the sky is. Look at all these happy people. This is the happiest place on earth. Your dad loved Christmas and he would be so happy that we are all together, at the happiest place on earth, on Christmas day, to honor him.
“It seemed to comfort her somehow. And we all had a good time.” |
Adds Patricia, “We had taken Kara to Disney World when she was younger and whenever she would see a Disney character, she would get scared and run away. She would run and cry. They were so big and she was kind of small.
“But now, she loves them. I have pictures of her with Captain Hook, and Tigger. She says, “I hug them. I hug them.”
“And, as she stood with her arm around Minnie Mouse, she whispered in Minnie’s ear, “I really like your husband, “Mickey”. |
Patricia continues, “After Kara’s dad passed away, she would say, “I miss my dad. I need another dad.” I said, “It’s probably not going to happen, honey.”
“Then, lo and behold, Randy and I met again. We met in high school. When we graduated, Randy’s parents said he was too young to get married, and my parents wanted me to go to college. So, we went our separate ways.
“We met again after both of our spouses passed away. And then Randy met Kara. “Randy and Kara hit if off from the very beginning. They have a lot of fun together. He adores her. He appreciates her. They have fun together.” Says Randy, “Kara is like a forever young person, and it is fun. She sees things differently. Having her in our family gives us a unique experience, and perspective, that a lot of people don’t get. We celebrate the things she can do. We’re thankful for everything she can do, for all of the abilities she has. “As a family, I think we appreciate people’s abilities so much more. We have seen Kara struggle. It taught us all patience, and to appreciate people’s abilities, no matter what they are. I think that’s a beautiful lesson for everyone to learn. Appreciate every person, no matter what they are able, or unable to do.”
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Randy continues, “One of the neat things about my relationship with Patricia is our willingness to voice memories about our late spouses. It’s very healthy for both of us.
“We do the same thing with Kara. She and I talk about her dad all the time. Sometimes on her face, I can just tell the next thing out of her mouth is going to be, “I miss my dad. My old dad.
“One time we were at Disneyland, and Kara just started crying. And Patricia and I, we couldn’t bear it. I asked her, “What are you crying about?” and Kara just said, “Sometimes I just have to cry.”
“Pat and I just looked at each other. It was so profound. So I decided not to try and talk with her about it. To just go with the flow and let her cry it out.”
Patricia adds, “I said to Kara, “You cried like this that very first time we came here, after your dad passed away. “We’re a new family. That’s something we’ve all had to figure out. It’s not an easy thing to do. “But Randy and Kara get along beautifully now. I’m so thrilled. They are just crazy about each other. They have a lot of fun together.” |
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“Kara lived with me for 32 years,” says Patricia. Then I broke my foot. I had to use crutches. I had to use a scooter to get around. And I realized everything I had to do for Kara, that I didn’t even realize I do for her.
“I realized she needs a lot of care. She cannot care for herself. So, I started thinking, “What if something happens to me?” |
“Moving to Mountain Shadows was hard for Kara at first,” adds Patricia. “Very hard. But, over time, she has adjusted. She’s used to it now. And she said something the other day to me about going home to Mountain Shadows. She said she needed to see her house. “And I said to Randy, “Did you hear that?!?! She said Mountain Shadows is home!!! She had never said that before.
“And I said to Kara, “Wow! How many people have two homes? You’re really blessed to have two homes.
“Kara has more than one family now. She has more than one safe place to be. That’s a real blessing.” |
Adds Patricia, “Everything about Mountain Shadows is so good for Kara. We love the staff there. They’ve been so supportive. It’s just been a great experience for her.
“She can enjoy life, and her quality of life is so much better. She has other people who care for her, other people to interact with all day long.
“There’s a sense of community. It’s so beautiful. So unique. It’s so special that people of all ages and abilities can mix and interact with each other.
“She’s developed more of an awareness of other people – about what they need, and who they are.
“When one of her housemates was ill, Kara was very worried about her. She’d never really expressed worry about anyone at Cedar house before. Kara missed her housemate when she was in the hospital. I think that shows she’s developing really deep relationships.
“I told Kara to be a blessing to the staff at Cedar house. I said she should try to help the staff have an easier, happier day. They have a hard job.”
Adds Randy, “We have confidence, every single day, that Kara is safe. That she’s happy. That she’s actually living a life. And if we fell off the end of the earth tomorrow, Kara would continue right on.
“Mountain Shadows is a community. Not just for Kara, but for all of the residents. It’s got every part of what life is. “It’s an amazing place and Kara is happy there. “Mountain Shadows says, “Because We Care,” and I believe that. It is true. Because We Care is true.” |
Continues Randy, “There was a story in the Mountain Shadows newsletter about a young man who had lived somewhere else, in another residence, but it wasn’t with young people. His life was very different there. When he came to Mountain Shadows, he had a whole different kind of life. It was interactive. It was a “let’s be doing things” kind of life. And when I read that, I was like, wow. That makes all the sense in the world to me, because I see what Kara is able to do there and her quality of life is just superb.
“It’s almost like Disneyland, it’s the Happiest Place on Earth, but Mountain Shadows is not only the happiest place, it also provides the best quality of life. Both are important … but quality of life … that’s everything.” |
What was God thinking … when he chose Patricia to be Kara’s mother?
We believe, as God hovered over the earth choosing mothers, He may have said to His angels: “Give this one a daughter. The Patron Saint will be Cecelia.” “Give this one twins. The Patron Saint will be Matthew.”
“And this one will receive a disabled child.” And the angel asked, “What about her Patron Saint?” And God smiled, “A mirror will suffice.” ~Modified from Erma Bombeck
From our Entire Mountain Shadows Family:
Happy Mother’s Day, Patricia! |
Perhaps YOU have been chosen to be here now, to read this, as part of the Mountain Shadows Family – to be not only present, but to be an integral part in making miracles happen for all of our Mountain Shadows residents
YOU can be at their side, every minute of every day of their lives, through your gifts. Have a look in the mirror … and smile … Because YOUR gift today may help make miracles happen – miracles like Oreo Cookie birthday cakes, and dreams of Mickey Mouse crushes – for Kara.
Your Mother’s Day gift will be DOUBLED today: $25 → $50 $50 → $100 $75 → $150 $100 → $200 $500 → $1,000
Double another amount Donate now and you can receive a tax deduction for this year!
Your gift will be matched, dollar-for-dollar, up to a total of $10,000. On Mother’s Day, and all days, the Mountain Shadows Foundation funds activities which add meaning and richness to our residents’ lives. Please click here to double your donation today! Click here to see the beautiful greeting cards handmade by our MSOS participants.
In honor of Kara and her mother, Patricia, and in celebration of all our Mountain Shadows Mothers, Portia Bibb will match up to $10,000 in donations to the Mountain Shadows Foundation!
Your support will help us continue to provide loving care to all of our residents. Please share this story with your family, friends and co-workers to help grow our 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 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 continue to make a difference in the lives of our residents:
mhuiras@mtnshadows.org |
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