01/28/2024
Happy 80th Birthday to our dear friend Lois whose birthday we celebrated at Elizabeth’s restaurant in Rocky Hill. Lois and I met when she was the President of the Oak Hill Parent’s Group. Lois whose son Andy was in an Oak Hill Group Home was indefatigable in lobbying the Governor and the legislature on behalf of non profits, and in particular Oak Hill. And that was wonderful until one day with NO notice Oak Hill suddenly closed the Oak Hill group home that Andy called home for 17 years. I spoke personally to the former manager of that home and EVEN she was given zero notice of this event. Andy and the 3 other men he had shared that home with were suddenly cast to the wind and they never even got to say goodbye to each other. They were put on vans and “shipped” to other Oak Hill group homes with no transition and Andy reacted very badly - because he also lost the opportunity to continue in the day program that was his other anchor. He rapidly spiraled into a very bad state of mind - even winding up in the hell of the Institute of Living totally drugged up and while in the middle of the Covid pandemic as Lois valiantly struggled to keep him from totally losing his mind and health. She PERSISTED - and got Andy into a respite DDS State Home which became his permanent home and he began to do much better as he got the care he needed. But now even as Lois marks her 80th birthday with a smile -ever lingering is her worry about Andy’s care as he begins to shown signs of early dementia-something that is common with an individual with Cerebral Palsy. Yet again she picks up the sword and is fighting for the right care for her son as her heart breaks watching the loss of his skills. We mothers of these special children must have unlimited strength and courage - but we are also human - we get scared, and we get sad - we struggle at times with our own emotional wellbeing- and it should not be that way. The old saying - a society is only as good as the care it shows to those less fortunate remains an axion still waiting to be fulfilled in CT and our country. But today for just a moment - Lois enjoyed the love and care of her family and friends and yet even today Lois did what she does so well she showed love and care for all of us who came to celebrate this momentous occasion with her ! Happy Birthday Lois - we love you so very much !