Tommy came to Evergreen in 2014 from a large, state-run institution. As is the case with most institutions, there were many individuals and few staff. One-on-one attention can be hard to come by in an institutional setting and that is exactly what Tommy needed most.
Tommy’s list of heartbreaks is long. He suffered from a traumatic brain injury as a child, which caused his disability. His mom passed away. The woman who adopted him after his mom’s passing also passed away. Without these two women, he had no family involvement. Can you imagine?
His disability and his life’s hardships caused Tommy to frequently lash out. He was sometimes physically aggressive towards others, but oftentimes, he would try to harm himself. He tried to walk into traffic on more than one occasion.
Tommy became a frequent patient at the psychiatric hospital. There was a year before he came to Evergreen when he was in the hospital every single month. Visits typically lasted seven to ten days. That’s almost one-third of Tommy’s whole year in a psychiatric hospital.
A fresh start at Evergreen
Caregivers, advocates, teachers and family – these are the roles that Evergreen staff have filled for Tommy. Tommy is a frequent guest in their homes. He celebrates holidays, birthdays and other milestones with his Evergreen family.
Tommy now lives a quiet life of dignity in his own apartment. He has been hospitalization-free for three years. Every morning he enjoys a cup of coffee. Over breakfast, he plans out what he wants to do that day with his Evergreen direct support professional. Tommy has a short leg and right-side paralysis so he tends to prefer more leisurely activities like long drives and visiting parks with lakes. He loves Westerns movies and John Wayne is his hero. Tommy says that he is the Dallas Cowboys’ biggest fan.
Your contributions have given Tommy the happiness and stability that was amiss since the passing of his mom, and then, his guardian. Thank you for the difference you make in Tommy’s life and the lives of the more than 1,100 other individuals Evergreen serves.
