Chris’s Bold, Outgoing Life
Meeting Chris, you wouldn’t know he was once so shy that he would hide in a closet at day services so he didn’t have to speak with anyone.
That’s now a long time ago.
Today Chris is outgoing and always ready to entertain. He lives with his mother, Janey, who said there is never a dull day because Chris has an “exploding imagination” and loves to experience new things and new challenges.
When he was younger, Chris was in a public school special education program. His mother remembers being told by a teacher that they wouldn’t provide speech therapy for Chris because that would be a “waste of taxpayer dollars.”
Since coming to Mosaic as a young adult in 1999, Chris has learned to express himself in many ways, including limited speech. He continues to grow and develop in many surprising ways, Janey said.
Like a few years ago, when he insisted on doing the ALS ice bucket challenge. Or the many places he decides he wants to visit – last year it was New York City, where he got to visit the set of Good Morning America and meet host Amy Robach. On that same trip, he managed to snag a few official NYC police patches from mounted officers.
Chris also has a great interest in meeting politicians. He has met with state senators, the mayor, the governor and visited the White House (but didn’t get to meet the president).
Mosaic helps people live a life that gives them meaning. What that looks like is different for each person we serve because each person has unique dreams and goals.
But a common theme is living lives that are bold: being confident and determined to pursue what you choose.
March is National Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and the best way to celebrate is to share stories of the bold lives of the people served by Mosaic.
Their stories are important. They put a face on some of the people who benefit from Medicaid, which is the primary funding source for services to people with disabilities. Medicaid is facing a serious threat right now as Congress considers changing it to program that would not guarantee funding for people in need, people like Chris.Without the services he received, he might still be that young man, hiding in a closet, not communicating with others. That would be a great loss for Chris, and for those of us who know him.