Living with People His Own Age

When Michael was born, we thought how lucky we were to be given first a beautiful daughter and then a wonderful son. Could life be much better than to be blessed with a girl and a boy?

The pregnancy with Michael was difficult, and after his birth he had to stay in the hospital for almost a month. When we brought him home, we thought everything was going to be normal. We soon realized that things were not normal. When he was just a few months old, we noticed that he did not respond like our daughter did when she was that age. He was much slower at developing age-related skills.

Receiving a diagnosis of autism

At age 3, the doctors finally diagnosed Michael with a disability called autism. At that time, over 25 years ago, there was very little help from doctors, teachers or other people who knew anything about this disability. We found life with Michael, both at home and in public, very difficult. The one blessing was that he kept growing, and we would see each year’s progress in his development.

Thinking of the future

As Michael grew older, one of his doctors suggested that we start thinking about his future. The doctor told us that we must love Michael enough to let him go — that he could live a life of some independence from his parents. We knew that we would not always be here and that we should plan what was best for his future.

After searching for a special place for our son, we finally found Fraser. Michael moved into Jewel House, a group home run by Fraser, in 1995. This environment has provided him with many new experiences that have enabled him to continue to grow in all areas of his life.

Making friends and gaining independence

Fraser has given Michael the chance to live with people his own age, to make his own friends and to have independence from his family. Most importantly, Fraser gives his life stability. He enjoys his day job with two other men in the group home. He also enjoys the activities that he’s able to participate in, both in the house and outside. He loves going to dances, basketball and Bible study. He enjoys playing the organ and guitar.

Michael is well cared for

We could not be happier with the loving people who oversee Michael's care. They have learned how to deal with him on a day-to-day basis, including providing for his medical needs. We feel good about his health because we know that the people at Fraser monitor this very carefully. We travel a lot, and Fraser gives us peace of mind that Michael is well taken care of.

Michael’s sister, Tami, is very close to him and enjoys his frequent visits to her house. Her husband and kids enjoy Michael’s company and talk frequently about Uncle Michael. Fraser is very good at helping him to communicate with Tami so she can manage the visits easily. Fraser has done so much for Michael, and for us, over the last several years. Michael has become very loving to his family and a very happy person. His favorite saying is, "You’re awesome!"