My name is Jill Solomon. My birthday is January 26, 1992. I have three older brothers, a caring Mom, and a minister of a growing church for my Dad. When I was born, life went well for a while, but . . . for some reason I started having seizures. These seizures left me severely mentally disabled . . . and caused my family incredible confusion, desperation, hopelessness and lots of tears. Since I needed constant care, it took its toll on my family. Who would have known I would need so much . . . for so long?

It wasn’t until some good friends came along to give Mom and Dad a break that they could get the rest they needed and deserved. But this journey wasn’t all bad -- I have touched the lives of the caregivers, friends and family who came to look-after me.

They were there to help me, and I was there to teach them.

My story is the story of many other children with disabilities. We can’t always deal with others in the same way most people can. We are all very vulnerable, and I know that handling our special needs isn’t always easy. That makes finding options for our care very limited and more difficult than it is for typical kids. Some people feel uncomfortable or just might not know what to do.

Our voices are small and quiet, but we have hope. My hope, and the hope of my friends, is that one day we will have a special place – Jill’s House. There, we will continue to touch the lives of our caregivers and friends, while our moms, dads and families know we are safe and having fun. And, for once in a very long time, we will know that we fit in, that we are welcomed and that we are home.

Thank you for building this home for me and my friends!

-Jill