Celebrating the lives of children with developmental disabilities

Over the phone from her new home at Hope, Brionna said “I love you” to her mom. It was the first time Diane had heard language from her daughter.

“I cried like a baby,” she says.

Brionna has a rare chromosomal disorder that causes seizures, an enlarged heart and intellectual disabilities. Six months ago, Diane was running out of options for her daughter. Three different schools could not help her; no day care would accept her. Diane had to quit her job and ran out of money. Then the eviction notice came.

With a broken heart, but determined to do the right thing for Brionna, she called Hope.

“I knew one day I would have to place her in a residential program but I didn’t think it would be now, at age nine,” Diane says.

Hope offered Brionna exactly what her mom wanted – a structured and consistent schedule, speech therapy, staff who understand her daughter, 24/7 care and an on-site school.

Most comforting to Diane was that Brionna would live and go to school at Hope. Brionna is one of the first children to live in our new standalone home on campus. She experiences the feel of a neighborhood as she leaves her house and walks one block to school.

We have just begun to explore re-creating this feel across our 26-acre campus by replacing aging dormitory-style residences with standalone homes like Brionna’s. Our dream is to build homes, sidewalks, streets and a park – the type of real-world environment into which Hope children will eventually step as adults.

We must do everything possible to ensure they are ready for the world. With your continued financial support, we can do so.

In the meantime, Brionna is busy living her life and building skills toward independence. She thrives on Hope’s structured and consistent routine. She is a Girl Scout, plays on the baseball team and attends church on Sundays, activities Diane once thought impossible.

“I couldn’t ask for more for Brionna,” Diane says. “As long as Hope exists, I want all parents like me to know there is hope for children like ours.”

Diane knows Brionna is happy at Hope, and it shows. Sitting on the front porch of her new home, Brionna shares a laugh with Clint Paul, Interim President/CEO.

Fall 2012

ContentsAngels of Hope .............................. 2What is $5 a Month?

Learning ........................................ 3Art is Therapeutic for Twin Sisters

Living ............................................ 4Papa Lives on in Adam’s Triumphs

Taking Care ................................... 5Hope Helps Bring Jackson Back

Discovering Hope .......................... 6Luciana Needs Few Supports at HILA

Hope’s Children Depend on You .... 7Become an Angel of Hope

Giving the Gift of Hope ................. 7Hope’s Generous Supporters

Gifts at Work ................................. 8Local Company Comes to the Rescue

A publication of The Hope Institute for Children and Families

Heart of Hope

2 Fall 2012

To refer a childfor services

offered byThe Hope Institute

or to learn moreabout Hope services,

please call217-585-5437.

Angels of HopeWhat is $5 a Month?

Mark is a delightful 13-year-old with a wonderful sense of humor. He is a country music fan and loves to sing along with the karaoke machine.

your Angels of Hope commitment reduces other Hope requests for your support, the impact of your generosity will be that much greater.

Our Angels help The Hope Institute budget effectively for the year ahead by ensuring state-of-the-art medical, educational and residential services for thousands of girls and boys coping with autism, cognitive impairments and physical disabilities.

Your gifts will do more good than you could ever imagine!

Become an Angel of Hope today. It is easy! Just fill out the reply card on page 7 and mail it with your first gift. Or visit www.thehopeinstitute.us to donate online.

Thank you for being an Angel to Hope’s wonderful children!

With even the smallest monthly commitment – say, $5 – you can give a world of happiness and health to The Hope Institute’s special boys and girls.

When you become an Angel of Hope, you will join our most dedicated friends in helping loveable children who struggle with significant developmental disabilities.

The frequency and amount of your gifts are completely up to you. And, because

A gift from an Angel!

me is a publication of The Hope Institute for Children and Families. For inquiries or comments, please contact us at

(217) 585-5119, www.thehopeinstitute.us or PO Box 2817, Springfield, IL 62708-2817.

Writer/Editor: Courtney Reed Photographer: Kimberly Smoot

3me magazine

and Maisee’s paintings) as it is about experiencing new physical sensations.

At first, the girls were apprehensive but also curious about paint. Wendy Johns, art educator, helped them touch all kinds of paint tools. Soon they began dipping their fingers into the paint.

“Learning to tolerate something that might feel uncomfortable such as paint or clay, opens the door to feeling and handling other unfamiliar objects,” Wendy says. “Through art, for example, we are preparing the girls to be able to work with their hands in a vocational setting.”

For now, painting is simply fun for Hannah and Maisee. Roger is delighted when his girls come home with paint on their clothes.

“The dirtier they get, the better I feel about their day,” Roger says. “It means they’ve participated in life.”

Two years ago Roger was alone. So were his granddaughters. Hannah and Maisee are six-year-old twins who have autism. Roger took them in and quit his job to care for them. He is as devoted as any parent.

Like the uniqueness of snowflakes, these twins experience autism differently. Hannah loves motion. She likes to watch her grandfather toss a ball. Maisee is fascinated by how things work. She wants to discover where air goes into the ball.

His girls’ inquisitiveness is a change Roger sees since they came to Hope 10 months ago. He believes Hope’s care is helping Hannah and Maisee feel safe, confident and open to new experiences.

“Everyone at Hope loves my girls,” Roger says. “Hannah and Maisee may never be able to tie a shoe, have a conversation or add numbers. But if they have love wherever they are, that’s most important to their grandfather.”

Love is abundant at Hope. So are high expectations of the girls’ abilities. To make their lives better tomorrow, Hope works diligently to uncover every ounce of capability in a child today.

Thanks to Gerald and Sue Schillon’s generosity, Hope’s new Exceptional Art Program does just that. This program is not so much about producing artwork (though Roger’s home is covered in Hannah’s

Roger doesn’t know whether he saved his granddaughters’ lives or they saved his. No matter. They are happy now, so he is happy.

LearningPaint-Splotched Clothes Equal Living Life

Hannah (left) and Maisee (right) learn to play with paint under the patient and loving guidance of Hope Art Educator Wendy Johns (center).

4 Fall 2012

LivingAdam’s Papa Would Be Proud of His Life at Hope

“Adam loved helping his Papa,” Adrian says. “Adam was capable of doing a lot for himself and others, and my dad showed me that.”

After Papa’s death, their lives gradually deteriorated. Adam began sneaking out at night. Adrian slept in her clothes on the couch, ready to jump at any noise. Eventually she bolted doors and locked windows.

When Adam tried to jump out of the car as she drove, Adrian realized she no longer could keep him safe.

Hope is keeping Adam safe with the kind of round-the-clock monitoring and care that is impossible for parents to provide. Adam relies on a consistent schedule. When he has difficulty leaving school, staff have time to wait until he is ready.

Papa’s positive influence lives on in Adam’s triumphs. Sweet-tempered and social, Adam is a leader among his friends. Adrian thought she would never be able to converse with her son but when she calls nightly, Adam picks up the phone.

“He used to speak only one or two words at a time,” she says. “Now he tells me about his day and what he had for dinner. The other day he recited Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech.”

As much as Adrian would like to bring her son home, she believes her decisions are not about what she wants but what Adam needs.

“He needs Hope,” she says.

“I knew we would have unique challenges” she says. We just took things as they came.”

Adrian says “we” even though her father, who moved in after Adam’s birth to help his grandson, died unexpectedly when Adam was 15.

“They were inseparable,” Adrian says. “When my dad started driving the school bus, he and Adam left and came home together every day.”

The peaceful rhythm of Adam’s life stopped when his “Papa” died. He knew Papa would never leave him and could not understand where he had gone. Adam also was a teenager, a challenging time for anyone but

especially for young people with disabilities.

“My greatest struggle was getting him home after school,” she says. “Every day he dropped to the ground and refused to move. I had to call paramedics or police to help.”

Adrian threw out the child-rearing books when Adam was born three months premature. His developmental delays were immediate. But so was Adrian’s instinct to follow Adam’s lead.

5me magazine

therapies and teaching strategies to help him focus so he could begin learning to care for himself and communicate with others.

Today, Jackson’s helmet is off. He is speaking words again, getting dressed on his own and brushing his teeth with only a little help.

At Hope, Jackson is reconnecting with himself.

“Hope’s consistent expectations of Jackson are helping him gain a sense of control,” Emily says. Now she sees herself looking differently at her son when he comes home every other weekend.

“I’m realizing how much he understands,” she says. “He rolls his eyes when I sing, he laughs at me. I’m finding my son again.”

But then something changed. At 18 months Jackson began to withdraw. Words he knew evaporated. His gaze looked disconnected. In front of his mother’s eyes, Jackson faded away.

Autism took Jackson.

“I broke down and cried, ‘Why my child?’” Emily says. “I was in shock.”

Like any toddler, Jackson began throwing tantrums. But his were different. He bit and scratched others, and banged his head. Emily searched for help from doctors and therapists but nothing worked.

By age five, Jackson was putting himself and others at risk. His kindergarten classroom called Emily so often to take him home that she lost her job. She and Jackson spiraled downward while his behaviors escalated.

“I had to nail our windows shut to protect him from running into the street,” Emily says. “I couldn’t leave. I couldn’t work. I couldn’t be in the bathroom by myself for fear he would hurt himself.”

The Hope Institute, Emily believes, saved them both.

Jackson arrived at Hope wearing a helmet because he hit or banged his head more than 50 times a day. His aggression was unpredictable. He required 24/7 one-on-one care – a feat impossible for Emily or any other parent to provide.

Jackson’s Hope team coordinated his medical care with behavioral

Jackson was a happy, engaging baby. He walked early, played ball with his mom and loved to swim.

Taking CareJackson’s Mom is Finding the Boy She Thought She Lost

Emily is saving money for an iPad in hopes it might help Jackson communicate. “I feel like Jackson is a normal little boy trapped in his body,” she says.

6 Fall 2012

for us to read to her.” They looked for an education program that understood their daughter’s special needs. Nothing seemed to fit.

Then Suellen discovered Hope Institute Learning Academy. Known as HILA, the school’s mission is to educate boys and girls of all abilities and learning styles.

“I knew in 10 minutes it was perfect for my daughter,” Suellen says. “The teachers and staff understood her challenges and spoke to us in a spirit of willingness to work together to help her.”

Now Luciana requires very little of the speech and occupational therapies and special education supports that she received in kindergarten and first grade. In fact, compared to second grade standards, she is reading at grade level and testing above in math. Her vocabulary is flourishing.

Teachers and staff attuned to Luciana also are helping her develop coping skills by turning her sensitivity to touch into something positive. Luciana keeps a squishy toy in her desk that she can squeeze when she feels uncomfortable. Suellen has learned to bring a similar toy into situations outside of school that may cause Luciana anxiety.

“Every single person at HILA is tuned in to what children like Luciana need to be successful,” Suellen says. “HILA is giving my daughter the tools, encouragement and space she needs to grow into the leader she is.”

Luciana was born in Kazakhstan. Her parents adopted her from an orphanage at age one. She had serious vision problems and was suffering from lack of stimulation during infancy.

“We expected delays and knew we would need to catch her up,” says Suellen, Luciana’s mom. But despite everything they did, early intervention and therapies, Luciana’s inability to focus was getting in the way of learning.

“We could tell she was smart,” Suellen says. “But she was like a bumblebee, in constant motion. We were dizzy watching her.”

An attention deficit disorder (ADD) diagnosis soon explained Luciana’s inability to focus. It also terrified her parents.

“How were we going to educate her?” Suellen recalls. “She couldn’t color, dress herself or sit still long enough

Discovering HopeLuciana Moves Beyond Special Supports at HILA

Luciana has moved from half days in special education classes to full days in her mainstream class. (Photo courtesy of HILA.)

Luciana is a talkative and inquisitive second grader at Hope Institute Learning Academy. Just four years ago she spoke very few words.

7me magazine

We wish to thank our corporate sponsors that have provided major support to Hope’s fundraising efforts over the past year.

Hope’s Children Depend on YouSupport Our Special Boys and Girls by Making a Gift Today

Giving the Gift of HopeHope’s Generous Supporters

Thank you for inviting me to become an Angel of Hope by offering The Hope Institute my committed financial support.� I accept your invitation and will do my best to give a gift of $_________ � Monthly � Every other month � Quarterly� I prefer to charge my gift to The Hope Institute and have filled out the credit card information below.

� I prefer not to make a commitment, but offer my support today with a gift of � $25 � $15 � $_________.� Please charge $_________________ to my credit card on a one-time basis. I have filled out the credit card information below.

Credit Card Information:� Please charge my � Visa � MasterCard � American Express

Account Number: ––– Expiration Date: ______/______

Printed name as it appears on your card: _______________________________________________________________________

Signature: ___________________________________________________Cell phone/telephone: ___________________________

Email: __________________________________________________________________________________________________

Would you like to become an Ambassador of Hope?� Please contact me about becoming an Ambassador of Hope.

Create a Legacy of Hope for the Children of The Hope Institute� I have remembered The Hope Institute in my will.

Thank you for your generous tax-deductible gift. Please make checks payable to The Hope Institute.PO Box 2817 • Springfield, IL 62708-2817

Please remove reply at perforation, fold and enclose it with your gift in the envelope provided. Thank you!

5Flavors CateringAllied Waste ServicesAmerenAnderson Legislative ConsultingApricot Lane BoutiqueBank of SpringfieldBob Ridings/Jim Xamis DealershipsBoka Restaurant GroupBrandt ConsolidatedBrown, Hay & StehpensBunn-O-Matic CorporationButler Funeral HomesChicago Blackhawks CharitiesCinzano Wines Clark Baird SmithCorporation Service CompanyDavis Law Offices

FWAI ArchitectsGrady RealtorsHanson Professional ServicesHeartland Credit UnionHinshaw & CulbertsonIllinois Automobile Dealers AssociationIllinois National BankIntegrated Networking SolutionsKing TechnologyKinzie ChophouseLevi, Ray & ShoupMJ Kellner Food ServiceMarine BankMercy Home for Boys & GirlsMichael von Behren BuilderO’Brien’s RestaurantPearson Corporation

Pease’s CandyPreferred Network Access Presentations DirectR.W. Troxell & CompanyRenken DenistryRoland Machinery CompanyScott & ScottShefsky & FroelichSikichSloan Implement CompanySouthern Wine & Spirits of IllinoisSpartan Sports ParkTelephone and Data SystemsTobin JewelersTown and Country BankWalmartZara’s Collision Center

Please visit www.thehopeinstitute.us or call 217-585-5119 to learn more about Hope’s special events.

The

for Children and FamiliesHOPE NSTITUTEI

15 East Hazel Dell LanePO Box 2817

Springfield, IL 62708-2817

Gifts At WorkLocal Company Comes to Hope’s Rescue

trailer pulled up alongside Hope’s kitchen and stayed there for five days. MJ Kellner insisted on absorbing the cost.

To Fran, Mike’s efforts to help Hope were heroic.

“I don’t know what we would have done without him,” Fran says. “He was there when we needed him.”

To Mike, he simply lived out the family-owned company’s commitment to the community.

“MJ Kellner will always extend a helping hand to organizations that help people in our community,” Mike says. “Hope can count on us.”

Hope needed a helping hand … fast.

Fran Berry, who for 16 years has overseen the dietary needs of 185 Hope children on campus and in their homes, called MJ Kellner, a local Hope food distributor.

“I told her not to worry, that I would do whatever I could to get a freezer to Hope,” says Mike Dobson, MJ Kellner’s director of operations. And he did.

Within one hour, with help from partner Whalen Transportation, a refrigerated semi

When a broken freezer threatened Hope’s food inventory for 185 children, MJ Kellner delivered a refrigerated trailer within one hour. (Photo courtesy of MJ Kellner.)

NON PROFIT

US POSTAGE

PAIDSOUTH SUBURBAN

PERMIT NO 799

The heat index was 100+ degrees when Hope’s walk-in freezer stopped working. Inside were over 200 boxes of frozen meats and other major food items that would thaw and spoil within hours.