Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Makes a Lasting Impression in Mobile
A wonderful event took place in Mobile, Alabama that affected not only a family and a community, but United Cerebral Palsy as well. Many follow the popular ABC hit show, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. In fact, since its debut in November 2003, the show has quickly become a public favorite due in part to its outgoing host, designers, corporate partners, and contributions to the public, rebuilding homes for those that cannot afford to take on the financial burden of such a task. Over 100 families (with countless more on the horizon) have directly benefited by Extreme Makeover's generosity. One lucky Mobile, Alabama family recently featured on the show was the Gaudets.
Stephen and Lydia Gaudet are proud parents of six outstanding boys, Joseph (age 22), Christopher (age 20), Thomas (age 17), Patrick (age 15), Michael (age 13), and Peter (age 9) and have a long history of volunteerism. Their dedication to outreach within the community can be seen throughout their family. Lydia is a parenting class instructor with Easter Seals, the boys volunteer their time to help with Hurricane Katrina clean-up and Christopher is a five-year veteran counselor at Camp Smile (UCP of Mobile's Summer camp for kids and adults with disabilities). In addition to their time spent away from home, all are devoted to the well-being of Peter, who has Downs Syndrome.
Peter was introduced to United Cerebral Palsy of Mobile before the age of one month when the affiliate's early intervention team was called in to conduct an assessment of Peter's abilities and to offer up services and solutions to Stephen and Lydia. After a period of time utilizing in-home equipment and enhancement programs, Peter was enrolled in the Mobile affiliate's preschool program. This provided a wonderful starting point for his development and introduction to continuing education.
At the age of four, after a successful run at preschool, the Gaudets enrolled Peter in Camp Smile. He would attend for a week and enjoy swimming, horseback riding, yoga, arts and crafts, and outdoor games (like kickball and tee ball). The camp's one-to-one counselor-to-camper ratio enabled Peter to take on activities with a more hands-on approach and strengthened his confidence to take on new challenges.
Camp Director and UCP Childcare Enhancement Specialist, Cecy Lowell reflects on Peter's success, "It is always great to have Peter at camp. He seems to enjoy horseback riding the most. Having Lee [Meyer, the riding instructor] there, along with his counselor, seems to embolden him. You can see the transformation take place, and before you know it, he wants to try new things and even loosens up enough to have a go at yoga."
Camp Smile has certainly been a great outlet for the Gaudets. Five years ago, Chris began attending with Peter and started out as a chief trouble shooter for the electronics and computers on-site. Once he settled in, Lowell reassigned him to work with campers as an official counselor... a position he has held ever since.
It is with Chris' love of Camp Smile and its positive effect on everyone involved that he made the ultimate contribution. During numerous interviews with producers at "Extreme Makeover" he kept talking about camp, his work there, and Peter's attendance. They took notice and cut special segments for the broadcast that highlighted camp and some of Peter's favorite activities. On top of that, CVS Pharmacies (a major sponsor of the build) donated $50,000 to the Gaudets for Peter's needs and additionally, donated $100,000 to UCP of Mobile that will be directly used for services, equipment, and programs at Camp Smile.
"CVS and ' Extreme Makeover' are first class," said Glenn Harger, President and CEO of UCP of Mobile. "The contribution that CVS Pharmacies has made is truly amazing. This is a shining example that they really care about the well-being of the communities that they serve."
In the end, good things come to those that do good for others. Stephen, Lydia and the boys have a new, bigger and better home, and UCP of Mobile's Camp SMILE has an unexpected (and welcome) financial boost... all because of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," CVS Pharmacies, and the Gaudet family's dedication.
April is Autism Awareness Month. Nearly 1.5 million Americans have been diagnosed with autism. It is the fastest growing developmental disability in the U.S., but also one of the most under-assisted. One out of every 150 children born in 2004 was diagnosed as autistic, elevating the chance of an autism diagnosis higher than that of diabetes and cancer combined. Each year, the U.S. Government sets aside 5% of its health funding for early intervention and therapy.
Many of our affiliates work with children and adults diagnosed with autism and are becoming increasingly concerned about available resources.
A multifaceted disorder, autism has long baffled parents and professionals. Children with autism do have the possibility to improve greatly, and some even overcome the effects of autism, if appropriate therapies begin early enough. Unfortunately, the financial responsibilities of treating kids with autism fall on direct support professionals and families, equating about $90 billion per year. As a side effect, the divorce rate among parents of children with autism is 83%, due to sustained financial and emotional stress. Since early child intervention and diagnosis can lower the costs of treating a person with autism by two thirds, it's important that state and federal lawmakers provide more funding and support.
Two measures currently in Congress seek to address the issue of funding autism early intervention and therapy. H.R. 1881 and S. 937 will support those with autism and help shed light on this troubling developmental disability.
Also happening this month from March 25th through April 27th, the HBO television networkwill air Autism: The Musical, a film that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City that brings attention to the modern-day epidemic of autism and celebrates the value of the human spirit in overcoming any challenge.
The film introduces Neal, Lexi, Henry, Adam and Wyatt - five autistic kids who, along with their parents, take part in a groundbreaking theatrical workshop.
Inspired by her work with her own autistic son, Elaine Hall, an acting coach, created a musical that allows autistic children to express themselves creatively and interact socially. The result was the Miracle Project. Countering the bleak statistics regarding autism, she pledged to lead a group of autistic kids to defy expectations by writing, rehearsing and performing their own full-length musical.
Marlee Matlin, the Oscar®-winning actress who has starred in television shows such as "The West Wing" and "The L Word" joins this season of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars."
Using her whole body, minimal hearing and relying heavily on her dance partner, Fabian Sanchez, she uses her sense of feeling to find the bass in the music.
"In a dance studio, I like the music to be turned up loud so I can follow along the bass line," Matlin told the New York Post via e-mail. "But mostly, it's about that rhythm I have inside me. I've got groove because my heart beats just like everyone else's. The trick for me is to use what I've got to synch up with the music that comes through my dance partner's moves. In the end, it sounds complicated, but it's really not a big deal. Just ask... other deaf and hard of hearing Americans, and they'll say the same thing. There's music out there but a lot of it is about the music you have inside."
Last season Heather Mills, former wife of Paul McCartney, danced with a prosthetic leg and won audiences over with her triumphant story that proved anything is possible. Last year, she transcended attitudes and beliefs about disabilities and this season looks to be even more promising for the community of people with disabilities.
About 30 million Americans have some degree of hearing loss. They represent a wide range — those born profoundly deaf and others who suffered a hearing loss as a result of illness or age. This makes it difficult for members of the hearing impaired community to identify with one another. Yet, by watching "Dancing with the Stars," this community has something to connect them as they cheer Matlin on — fulfilling a "Life without Limits."
In fact, dance groups at two of the largest universities that serve the deaf and hearing impaired — Gallaudet in Washington, D.C. and Rochester Institute for Technology in New York — have been around for decades, performing to music for both hearing and nonhearing audiences.
For more information on Marlee Matlin, please see these other stories:
UCP of Central Florida's Shakepeare with Heart Featured in Exceptional Parent Magazine
Shakepeare with Heart, a UCP of Central Florida (UCP-CFL) summer program, is featured in the March 2008 edition of Exceptional Parent Magazine. Ilene Wilkins, CEO of UCP of Central Florida (UCP-CFL), and Dr. Rebecca Hines, a professor at the University of Central Florida and sibling to actress and board member, Cheryl Hines, collaborated to produce the article.
The article describes the beginnings of the Shakepeare with Heart summer program and how it is truly inclusive in every respect. In fact, Wilkins was surprised by the outcome of the project. When asked by Dr. Hines, "Why shouldn't this project be for all kids?" Wilkins "immediately thought, wow, could that really work?" Indeed, it has and the program has run successfully for two years. Now entering its third year, the program looks to have even more promising results in changing the hearts and minds of all it touches when dealing with life's real and mythical barriers.
The program is an authentic drama camp with all members of the cast participating in the warm up exercises, drama games and performance to the best of their abilities, with UCP-CFL providing assistance as needed.
The most important aspect of the program is how the kids learn life lessons and social skills that will impact their lives as they grow older. In the end, Wilkins and Dr. Hines write:
"The most valuable lesson is that, if you put a group of kids together who share a passion for something and we adults 'get out of the way,' the kids themselves do all the work in creating something incredible!"
Founded in 1948 to help people with cerebral palsy, today United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) is a pivotal advocate for the rights of all people with disabilities. As one of the largest health charities in America, UCP is dedicated to advancing the independence, productivity and full citizenship of people with disabilities.
World Autism Day Brings Attention To Condition Central Florida 13 News Orlando, FL, USA 4/1/08 April 2 marks the observance of the first World Autism Awareness Day, which is sponsored by the United Nations.
The Governor's Disability The Buffalo News Buffalo, NY, USA 3/30/08 "Sporty" Watson and New York’s new governor, David A. Paterson, have some things in common: Both are African-American and both are disabled. Paterson is legally blind. Watson deals with the physical limitations of cerebral palsy.
Students with disabilities get chance to dance Courier Journal Louisville, KY, USA 3/24/08 Crawford, who has cerebral palsy and is a "sit-down" dancer, performs the ballet positions in her wheelchair. "It gives me a sense of freedom, a sense of movement."
Student teaches classmates, peers about disabilities Baltimore Sun Baltimore, MD, USA 3/23/08 Sabo was born with cerebral palsy, a brain injury that put him in a wheelchair, slurs his speech, and made him an outcast among his peers. He plans to major in criminal justice at Edinboro University in Erie, Pa., this fall, but didn't want to graduate this spring without knowing his classmates - or having them know him.
How the Military Has Repaid Iraq Vets With Permanent Disabilities ABC News New York, NY, USA 3/20/08 Despite their progress, challenges remain for all these families. As they continue to face the everyday challenges of living with a brain injury, some of these veterans are also locked in a struggle with the military to get the disability payments they believe they deserve.
DisAbilities Rights Chairman: The Meaning of 'Legally Blind' Somerville Journal Somerville, MA, USA 3/17/08 News of "the nation's first legally blind governor" has folks asking, "Isn't a person either blind or not?" The American Foundation for the Blind estimates 10 million people in the United States are either blind or visually impaired.
Hearing no problem for deaf juror: 'I should be able to be on a jury like everyone else,' he says Atlanta Journal-Constitution Atlanta, GA, USA 3/15/08 What stood out for many about the trial was one of the jurors. He was deaf. Though a deaf juror is not unprecedented, it is rare, according to jury experts and advocates for the hearing impaired, and it was a first for the veteran judge, the attorneys and the other jurors. Two interpreters translated the proceedings into sign language.
Making Second Life more accessible Second Life News Network USA 3/15/08 Virtual Ability is a Colorado nonprofit organization that helps bring people with a wide range of disabilities into SL. They provide help with assistive hardware and software. The Heron Sanctuary is a project of Virtual Ability within SL.
Ms. Wheelchair Kansas to speak out on disabilities Lawrence Journal Lawrence, KS, USA 3/13/08 The Kansas University graduate last weekend was crowned 2008 Ms. Wheelchair Kansas, a title that will make her a spokeswoman for people with disabilities.
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