“An Amazing Gift,” Kyle Teaches Humanity and Compassion
As she speaks, Laura Kelly lovingly brings her older brother Kyle Simonson, 62, into the conversation by reiterating key information and posing questions to him. He sits closely by her side, and their love for each other is palpable.
Kyle may not be verbal, but he clearly communicates he’s happy through his exuberant smile, buoyant, happy clapping and his wonderful sounds of joy.
According to Laura, Kyle has always been that way. “I’m 39 years old, and in all those years of being his sister, he’s always been happy. He’s so easy going, kind and sweet. You could be having the worst day, but his million dollar smile melts your heart and changes all that.”
Before Laura and their sister Jennifer Halupnick were born, Kyle suffered a brain injury as a toddler. Their parents rushed him to the hospital with a high fever, and sadly, he coded overnight and lost oxygen to his brain. When he awakened, Kyle could no longer walk or talk.
“The only time I saw my dad cry was when he talked about Kyle being fully capable—walking and talking before his brain injury—and how afterward, Kyle could no longer speak and needed to relearn how to walk,” recounted Jennifer.
Their father died 11 years ago. “The day before dad died,” said Laura, “he asked me to ‘take care of my buddy.’”
While Kyle lived in a group home, Laura wanted him to live in a place where “he would have more life opportunities and experiences,” she said. “I started calling around the metro area to find a residence where we could easily pick him up and take him places. I even toyed with the idea to open a group home—that’s how desperate I was—but then I thought ‘how am I going to do that with three kids and with my busy schedule as a full-time nurse and my husband’s busy schedule as a full-time pilot?’”
When she called Mosaic, a staff member asked her if she had ever considered being a paid Mosaic at Home® shared living provider for Kyle. “I had no idea it was even an option,” Laura said. “I then knew in my heart this is the direction we should go, he could move into a home where people loved him larger than life, and he could be an integral part of his family.
“I thought it would be hard to make the transition happen, but the people at Mosaic made it so smooth, and they were so supportive in making the change come true for all of us,” Laura added.
Since then, Laura and her family have taken Kyle on many trips. “We wanted him to see the mountains, so we went to Denver. I also wanted him to experience the ocean, so we went to Gulf Shores in Alabama. Watching Kyle’s joy in feeling the sand in-between his toes and walking in the water for the first time was so amazing, it brought tears to my eyes. I never knew if he would be able to have these experiences, and then I knew he would have them and many more,” she said.
“One Christmas we did a trip to Florida, and it was Kyle’s first time on a plane. We went to Disney World, and when the characters Mickey Mouse, Pluto and Goofy went to Kyle to hug him, he gave them hugs right back. We also traveled to the Florida Keys to a dolphin experience; when Kyle waded in the water, they swam right up to him and he was able to touch them with the children right by his side,” said Laura. “How blessed our family is to share in Kyle’s life and witness his pure happiness during our adventures together!”
There have been other adventures for Kyle, from seeing Graceland and riding in a pontoon boat—“we bought one especially for him,” said Laura—to trout fishing and going to movies, the grocery store and retailers such as Target and the Pro Bass Shop. “He’s very social. He just loves being out and about, even if it’s a walk around the neighborhood with the dogs.”
Kyle also has become an integral part of his community in more ways than one. “Watching our community embrace Kyle has been really great—so many people know him. He went to our homecoming parade, and he attends my children’s basketball and baseball games,” Laura said. “The baseball coach gave him two medals that were extras from when the team won the championship. Seeing those little boys sharing fist-pumps with him afterward and the way they included him is something I never could have taught them—it was Kyle who did.”
Kyle’s “favorites,” according to Laura, are firetrucks and anything having to do with them. “As the local fire department also knows Kyle, they drove one of their trucks to our house while we were celebrating his birthday last April! They ran the sirens, gave Kyle a fire helmet to try on and took him up on the truck. He was so overjoyed, and it was a real treat for the rest of those who attended his party.
“Kyle is truly a blessing,” Jennifer said. “He teaches everyone in our family and others so much about humanity and compassion—and especially for my kids. To me, as a mom, it’s important for them to care for and understand the needs of others. That opportunity didn’t present itself before Kyle became a bigger part of our lives. He’s an amazing gift.”