Well it has been 3 years that I have been with Steve, and been taking care of Branden. Back in 2008 his teacher at the time told us about the Division of Services for People with Disabilities, that they help fund for respite care and later for independent living for the disabled. I know I posted a couple times ago that they finally approved us for the help, but I just have to relate to you how I know that it has come in perfect time.
Steve and I have worked opposite shifts the entire time we have been together, so there would be someone available for Branden if need be. There has always been a period in time during each day that Steve and I were at work, so my children (Dakotah, Briche, Cheyenne and Hunter) would tend to Branden and make sure he was safe. This has been a task for them, but they have never complained about it and they did it very well. As life has it, kids grow up and move on, well Dakotah has moved out and has his own job, Cheyenne and Hunter are working with their daddy down at the Boy Scout Camp in Moab this summer and Briche graduates and is going to school and working, so this summer we have been so worried about who was going to help us with Branden. I had asked my employers if it would be possible for me to work from home, just for the month of June, but they said they did not think it would be conducive to the business, so I took that information and prayed like crazy there would be an answer. Well not even two days later, I got a call from DSPD saying that Branden, after being on the waiting list for 3 years has been taken off the waiting list and they are going to help us out! I cried. This process has happened so fast, we have had several assessments, and now the "task" of hiring a support coordinator. It has been years since I have been in contact with a friend that I had had when I was married to Brian, but as I was going through one of the assessments with the current case worke we have, I remembered our friend Brenda Callister had worked for the State of Utah with the disabled, I was not sure of the particulars of her job, but I wondered if she was still doing that and if she happened to be a support coordinator....so I had left her daughter a brief message on Face Book to have her mom call me. Within a matter of 10 minutes my long lost friend called me...it was amazing, we reconnected and I found out she IS a support coordinator...I asked her if I could hire her....I felt an overwhelming sense of relief, knowing Brenda and the person she is, I know she will do her best to help Branden AND our family with the resources she has. This was all happening for real, and fast and before June when we needed the help the most! What a testiment to me that THINGS do happen and prayers ARE answered when you need it the most. When I was talking to one of the agencies that we are thinking of going with, and they asked me if I had a support coordinator and I said I think it is going to be Brenda Callister, the man tells me "Oh I know Brenda, and she is one of the most honest and wonderful coordinators for the State, because she does it for the diabled client, not for herself!" What a wonderful blessing to find a dear friend again after so many years, and know that Branden is going to be taken care of by the help of her! :o)
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