Dawn
As told by her parents
"I'll be the best person I can be."
Dawn, 33, has always been determined and energetic, ever since she was a child. According to her father, she did everything fast, whether it was walking or talking. That's why what happened to Dawn in May 1992 was such a shock.
For no apparent reason, Dawn stopped breathing in her sleep. Her mother found her unconscious, and she was rushed to the hospital. The doctors could find no known cause.
"What happened to me was the worst thing in the world," Dawn said. "No one knows what I have."
Up until that time, Dawn's parents never realized how hard and stressful it would be to find the right help for their disabled child. "We took Dawn to at least six different programs until we finally found Ability Beyond Disability," said her mother. "Most of her programs and therapies were short-term and unproductive, but the program at Ability Beyond Disability was the first program we found to be long-term and productive. It keeps her busy and helps her attain goals she sets for herself. It gives her a reason and purpose to look forward to life again."
Dawn spends the major part of her day in the community at volunteer or recreational sites. She volunteers at Green Chimneys and the Katonah Community Center. She also attends Northern Westchester Center for the Arts, where she has been involved in two plays during the past year. Dawn receives Service Coordination, In-home Respite and In-home Residential Habilitation services. She also participates in the SPARC and Norwest programs in her spare time.
"She has gained confidence, friendship, love and support through her program. The people who work with Dawn care about her and are never negative. As a mother, I am at peace during the day knowing that Dawn is being well taken care of and happy."
"To use a quote from an article our daughter wrote recently, 'I'll be the best person I can be,' and Ability Beyond Disability is helping her do just that."
