When David transferred from Mansfield Legacy High School to the Ben Barber Career & Technical School in Mansfield there was one gaping hole, his best friend Corrine. David met Corrine in art class when she was serving as a “Partner in Art”, a service program pairing students with a student from the special education program in Art and PE.
David and Corrine became best friends far beyond the scope of the service-learning program. David says of Corrine, “She helps me clean my room and learn to organize my movies so I can find them. She teaches me and helps me cook my food, the way I like it!” Corrine continues working with David now, even though they are at separate schools. Corrine reads with him and helps to ensure his safety so that his mom is able to complete other tasks around the house.
Corrine works daily to stretch David out of his comfort zone. She recalls a time that she took David to an indoor trampoline park, where she works part-time. Scared at first, David counted on his trust in Corrine and tried the trampoline. In a short time, David had fallen in love with jumping and enjoys the activity.
In addition to Corrine, David’s mom also serves as his attendant. Because of Helping Restore Ability, she is able to earn a livable wage, while ensuring that her son is safe and cared for. David’s mom, Millie, writes, “I am very grateful for the opportunity that I have to help my son, to assist him with his everyday life, so he has a better quality of life. I get to work with him and ensure that all his needs are met. Thank you for employing me and to all the donors and people that support Helping Restore Ability. Thanks to their support our family is doing much better.”
