‘Providing Help, Creating Hope’

ALL SMILES  Margaret, 25, is the newest resident at Wallace House in Sparta. She moved in last month after tragic circumstances struck her family.

When tragedy strikes, DPD comes to rescue of young woman with Down syndrome

SPARTA  It was a day like any other day last month at the Department for Persons with Disabilities (DPD), an agency of diocesan Catholic Charities. That all changed with a phone call at 1:30 p.m. And by that evening, the DPD had once again changed someone’s life for the better by providing a new home for Margaret, a 25-year-old woman with Down syndrome after tragedy struck her life that day.

On the day DPD received that call about Margaret, the young woman’s mother was feeling ill. A family friend from St. Jude Parish in Hopatcong assisted Margaret and her mother in seeking medical care. Tragically, on the way to the doctor’s office, Margaret’s mom passed away. Margaret witnessed her death.

Immediately responding to Margaret’s situation, DPD staff arranged a meeting at DPD’s Gruenert Employment Center in Lake Hopatcong with two case managers, a court appointed guardian, the director of Wallace House, the regional administrator for New Jersey’s Division of Developmental Disa­bilities, a nurse from diocesan Catholic Charities, the director and special needs director of Gruenert and a couple who are parishioners of St. Jude Parish. They talked about challenges Margaret faced. DPD knew they had to help her instead of allowing her to go into state care. By 6 p.m., the maintenance staff put together a bedroom for Margaret and she was on her way to her new Catholic Charities home at Wallace House here.

“I am thankful for the manner in which the DPD staff came together to make this happen for Margaret,” said Joe Duffy, president of Diocesan Catholic Charities. “During this Year of Mercy, we would be challenged to enumerate all the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy this exemplifies.”

Losing her mom and finding herself in a new living situation, has not been easy for Margaret, but according to the staff at DPD, she is improving every day.

Before moving to DPD’s group home, Margaret’s living situation was not quite ideal. Since graduating from high school when she was 21, she has been sheltered in her home spending most of her time in her bedroom. Her parents faced significant health and financial issues — her father has been in a rehabilitation center for many months and her mom was trying to cope with the situation. Margaret and her mom lived mostly on cauliflower soup and milk.

Scott Milliken, executive director of DPD, said, “Margaret has a long way to go and the Wallace House staff have been working tirelessly to give her an excellent quality of life. Margaret needs to get used to her new home, change her sleeping pattern since she is used to sleeping all day and being up all night. Like all of our clients, she will get a physical from a physician and dental exam — healthcare she hasn’t received in years. She is also learning to get used to her new routine and new people.”

Welcoming Margaret to the DPD family, reminded the staff about its mission. The day Margaret moved in, Milliken remembers pointing to the logo in DPD’s conference room, which states: “DPD: Providing Help, Creating Hope.” I remember I said to the staff, “This is the Diocese of Paterson. This is Catholic Charities. This is DPD. Today we provided help and created hope.”

Kim Walter, director of Wallace House, said, “We didn’t know what to expect that first evening. She came in with a blank look but by Saturday, she was already a different person. We took her out to the local mall and she was amazed at everything.”

DPD treats its residents like family members, so Walter accompanied Margaret to her mother’s funeral. “She seemed aware on her own level about her mother’s death. During the funeral, like many people mourning, she seemed OK throughout the service and then at the end, she had a lot of emotional reactions,” said Walter.

One positive outcome with Margaret’s new life is that many members of her extended family have been in touch with DPD and visited her at Wallace House.

In addition to her new home, DPD has also given Margaret a new opportunity at Gruenert Center to gain life skills and vocational training. Because of her needs, Margaret was placed in Gruenert’s special needs department, which is currently assisting 10 adults and will soon welcome two more. Rebecca Dann, director of the special needs at Gruenert, said, “During her first week, she was really shy but she was able to complete the tasks we gave her like a pro. I’m really thankful we were able to do this for Margaret. It’s satisfying being employed at an agency that opens its arms to those most in need. It’s a magical thing when you are able to help somebody.”

As Margaret reaches new milestones and explores new things, DPD will make sure she has the best quality of life. “It’s a long road and everyone has been understanding from the doctors taking care of her to her peers, who have been trying to make her feel comfortable,” said Walter. “I’m looking forward to nicer weather when we can go outside. Our residents are always in the community attending flea markets, enjoying the outdoors. I’m curious to know how Margaret will grow within our family.”