ENSURING CARE FOR A NEW GENERATION.Byline: DENNIS MCCARTHY Dennis McCarthy may refer to:
Geoffrey Farrer and his late wife, Irmanea, stood outside a Pasadena house for sale in 1975 with seven other couples, trying to figure out if they could afford it, and if there was enough room. They had no idea the impact that buying this home together would have decades later on so many families in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. . "All we wanted to do was provide care and security for our children as they became adults," says Farrer, 79. "We didn't want them sitting home alone. We wanted a place where they could be happy and live together as friends for the rest of their lives." And they have. From that one home bought for $100,000 more than 30 years ago grew Therapeutic Living Centers for the Blind, or TLC TLC total lung capacity; thin-layer chromatography. TLC abbr. 1. thin-layer chromatography 2. , a nonprofit organization Nonprofit Organization An association that is given tax-free status. Donations to a non-profit organization are often tax deductible as well. Notes: Examples of non-profit organizations are charities, hospitals and schools. that now has 11 homes scattered Scattered Used for listed equity securities. Unconcentrated buy or sell interest. throughout the Valley providing a lifetime of companionship companionship the faculty possessed by most truly domesticated animals. They are social creatures and have a great need for the companionship of other animals. Animals in groups are quieter and more productive as a rule. and care for more than 75 multi-disabled people from their 20s into their 60s. During the day, they go to TLC's day-care center day-care center: see day nursery. in Reseda, and soon, thanks to a $4.8 million grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, there will be a new children's center and wide-ranging support programs as well. So the next generation of young parents with multi-disabled kids can look into the future and see what the Farrers and the other couples could only hope to realize when they bought that house together 32 years ago: a safe, warm home for their children to live out their lives as adults among friends. "With that grant, it sure looks like all blue skies going forward," Farrer said. His daughter, Lynda, was born blind with cerebral palsy cerebral palsy (sərē`brəl pôl`zē), disability caused by brain damage before or during birth or in the first years, resulting in a loss of voluntary muscular control and coordination. . She's 52 now and still lives at TLC with friends she's known since she was 20. Rhoda Benedetti's 23-year-old daughter, Tyra, is one of the newer residents there, arriving in 2006. "I searched for more than 10 years for a place that would be safe and happy for my daughter because I want her to have the happiest life she possibly can," Benedetti said Thursday. "I finally found "Finally Found" was the debut single from the Honeyz. This was their most successful single in the UK and worldwide, securing a number 4 position in the UK singles chart and achieved platinum status in Australia [1] Tracklisting # Title Length it here. I knew it as soon as I looked around, and talked to other parents and the staff. Most places have a high turnover of staff. Not here. "My daughter can only communicate with me by moving one finger, but she lets me know that she's happy here and loves her nurse. That's all that matters, her happiness." Tyra's nurse is Nettie Jordan. She's been working with severely disabled people for almost 30 years, 14 of them at TLC. "It's the longest place I've stayed because it's special," she said. "We're like a big family here. "People come to work because they want to, not because they have to. Clients move in, make friends and stay because they want to, not because they have to. "And now, with this new grant money, we're going to be able to reach out to help even more families in the Valley with multi-disabled children. "Kind of amazing a·maze v. a·mazed, a·maz·ing, a·maz·es v.tr. 1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise. 2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex. v.intr. , isn't it?" Nettie said. "All this happening because eight couples pitched in to buy a home for their kids 32 years ago." Yeah, it is. Kind of amazing. dennis.mccarthy@dailynews.com (818) 713-3749 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Nurse Nettie Jordan, right, assists Kyra Benedetti, who is blind and lives at the Therapeutic Living Center for the Blind in Reseda. Tina Burch/Staff Photographer |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion