Touching firsthand stories promote importance of HCBDD

National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, observed each March, is a time to recognize the contributions, talents and potential of individuals living with developmental disabilities.

On Monday, March 16, Holmes County Commissioners met with Holmes County Board of Developmental Disabilities Superintendent Marianne Mader, board member Kyle Snyder and three mothers who have experienced firsthand the value and joy the HCBDD has provided to their children over the years.

The stories shared by Kay Earney and her daughter Amy, Julie Yoder and her daughter Bella, and Tracy Schlabach and her son Payton spoke volumes as to the important role the center plays in Holmes County.

“I think it’s more valuable for people to hear from our recipients than it is to hear from me,” Mader said. “I wanted you to hear their stories firsthand to better understand the impact.”

Celebrating National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month serves as a reminder of the importance of creating inclusive communities where everyone can thrive.

Developmental disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome affect millions of individuals and their families, shaping unique perspectives and strengths that enrich society.

The commissioners presented a proclamation honoring March as National BDD Month.

Mader said by focusing on abilities rather than limitations, people begin to see the importance of accessibility, equal opportunity, and the simple but powerful act of treating every individual with dignity and respect.

However, the stories shared by the mothers captivated the proclamation process because of the sincerity, gratitude and love that have been exemplified through the staff at HCBDD.

Earney said Amy has been attending the training center for half a century, and the experience has been a blessing.

Earney said Amy has achieved things doctors said would never be possible, and much of that is attributed to the staff at HCBDD.

“She should never have been able to walk or talk, and she can do all those things,” Earney said, adding she sings, prays, feeds herself and more. "The doctor told me I did a great job raising her, and then I thought about the training center. It takes a village.”

Yoder spoke about the early intervention program at HCBDD and the role it played in developing Bella, impacting her whole family.

Faced with myriad physical limitations and medical complexities, Yoder said Early Intervention helped Bella and the family navigate through those early years.

“None of the things she is capable of doing today would be possible without the dedication and compassion of the staff at Early Intervention,” Yoder said. “Words can’t express what the school has meant to us and made possible for Bella.”

Bella is nonspeaking and uses a speaking device to communicate, another huge advancement in her life that came via the HCBDD.

“I see that mission statement — ‘A community where everyone belongs’ — and I think about it every day,” Yoder said. “When everybody belongs, the family is impacted, the individual is successful and the community remembers.”

Schlabach said Payton began going to the center at 5 months of age, and now as an adult, he lives in a group home but still attends the day program at HCBDD.

“Even today the staff still calls me and still cares so much about Payton and wants me to bring him in,” Schlabach said. “I don’t know what I would do without the training center.”

Snyder was brought on to the board this past year, and his inclusion marks something special because he has cerebral palsy. That hasn’t stopped him from writing for The Bargain Hunter and working, and he excelled on the West Holmes High School Academic Challenge team in high school.

He said the community has been such a blessing in its acceptance and support, and he and his wife feel good about themselves.

He said his appointment to the board was rewarding, and he learned quickly HCBDD does more than he ever knew.

“I’m so thankful for this appointment (to the board),” Snyder said. “When Marianne told me everything they do here, I was like, ‘really?’ I had no idea.”

He said the job of the board is to educate the community about those many things and to make sure people realize every individual is to be honored and recognized that they belong and not hidden away.

He said everyone at HCBDD has a passion for making sure everyone fits in.