Immediately her mind flashed back to a week many years ago that she had spent in Northern California, having Chris evaluated by an interdisciplinary team. After a week of intensive evaluations by a group of specialists, she found herself alone with all these professionals listening to their results. “Chris will likely struggle to walk, never learn to read or write, and never be able to do any complex tasks.” “He will never be able to contribute. You should consider institutionalization.”
Joy was determined those predictions would not be Chris’s fate. She would raise him with all the opportunities his other three siblings enjoyed, and they would work around his developmental delays believing he could and would learn.
That same week, Joy learned that Chris’s twin sister Colleen had childhood diabetes and would need Joy to help her with doctor appointments, treatment plans, and a life of discipline in managing her diabetes.
They were a military family and moved frequently. His twin sister Colleen contributed a great deal to Chris’s development. While advanced in many ways, Colleen pulled him along in her adventures so he could learn. Joy was relentless in seeking the best education for Chris in a time when services were just getting started for people with I/DD.
Chris was close to his siblings in childhood and continues to be close in adulthood. Preserving family connections is vital at Edwards Center. The loss of Chris’s twin sister this year, Colleen, due to complications from a fall was extremely hard for Chris and his family, but his deep faith in God has been a strength for him as well as the staff at Edwards helping him process this loss.
