The Fisher Family

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When Kaelen is at Jill’s House, I get a rare weekend to rest as a single dad. I usually stay nearby, go hiking, and enjoy some quiet. Then we talk the whole way home about everything he did.

I’m the proud dad of Kaelen. It’s just the two of us living together in South Jersey, and our bond is something truly special. Kaelen is full of life—always happy, kind, and energetic. We understand each other. He’s not just my son—he’s my teammate, travel buddy, and the motivation behind most of what I do.

We’ve been through our share of challenges, but we’ve also been really fortunate. That sense of gratitude drives us to give back. For many years, we’ve made it a mission to serve others—putting together care packages during the COVID-19 pandemic, picking up trash on Earth Day, handing out gloves in the winter, and making sandwiches for the homeless. Kaelen has been right beside me through all of it. We’ve even made it our goal to do charitable acts in all 50 states. So far, we’ve hit about 12 or 13.

Kaelen and I love to travel. Last year, we went to Japan to visit Super Nintendo World in Osaka. Besides having an awesome experience at the theme park, he loved the strawberry buffet at the hotel! In our travels, we like to mix fun with service, making memories everywhere we go.

One of the biggest blessings we’ve encountered is Jill’s House. We heard about it through a friend and decided to give it a try, even though it’s over two hours away. From that very first visit, Kaelen loved it. He especially enjoys the pool, gym, and making new friends with his “buddies.”

Jill’s House gives me peace of mind. Dropping him off there the first time was a little nerve-wracking, but I trusted the people who recommended it and was quickly reassured. Now, when Kaelen is at Jill’s House, I get a rare weekend to rest as a single dad. I usually stay nearby, go hiking, and enjoy some quiet. When it’s time for him to leave, we talk the whole way back home about everything he did. He always has stories about the buddy he was paired up with. We’re also both big foodies, and he raves about the meals at Jill’s House. It’s become part of our rhythm, something we both look forward to.

To any parent considering Jill’s House, I say it’s absolutely worth it. There’s nothing like knowing your child is safe, happy, and celebrated while you get the chance to recharge. The team at Jill’s House goes above and beyond, and they truly care. It’s not just respite; it’s a community—a lifeline. For us, it’s been the best respite program we’ve ever experienced.

Kaelen calls me “bald and beautiful,” and I’ll take it. He says I’m caring, and I’d say the same about him. We’re the Dynamic Duo. We do our best, and Jill’s House helps us keep going.

 

The Ditcharo Family

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Jill’s House gives Eden the camp experience she otherwise wouldn’t have. It gives us rest. And it gives our other kids a chance to do things they couldn’t do otherwise. It’s a gift all the way around.

We’re the Ditcharo family, a party of five living just outside Nashville, Tennessee. Life with three kids is beautifully full—and uniquely shaped by our middle daughter, Eden, who is 15 years old. She was born with a rare genetic disorder that affects her global development. She looks like a typical teenager, but she can only communicate in short phrases and still can’t write her name. That said, she can zipline, climb monkey bars, and swim, and she surprises us all the time with what she knows.

We first heard about Jill’s House when it was just a Virginia-based program. A friend from church mentioned it to us, and once we heard that the Jill’s House Weekend Adventures program was coming to Tennessee, we jumped at the chance to get involved. We were excited about the idea of a Christian respite program that offered weekend camps—something Eden could enjoy, and something that would give us the margin to breathe as a family. Eden’s siblings go to camp, but she hadn’t had the chance to go. Jill’s House was her opportunity!

From her very first visit, Eden fell in love with Jill’s House. She talks about it constantly—especially the hayrides, music, zipline, talent shows, and dance parties (Taylor Swift songs are her favorite!). She’s never been one to fear new places or people; so the moment we mention camp, she gets her backpack on and is ready to go. When we pick her up, she’s always tired and happy. And before we even get home, she’s already asking, “When can I go back?”

Jill’s House doesn’t just bless Eden—it blesses our whole family. Having a child with special needs is like always parenting a toddler. You’re always on, always attentive. But when Eden is at camp, we can focus on our other two children, Dylan and Charlotte, or even just spend time as a couple. One weekend while Eden was away, we enjoyed an overnight getaway in Nashville as a couple—dinner, a Predators game, and a night downtown. Another time, we took the other kids to Dollywood. Eden’s not a rollercoaster fan, so it was a chance for the four of us to have an adventure that she wouldn’t enjoy. These moments are rare and so important. While Eden is having a ball, we can also have a great time. Everyone is happy!

As parents of a child with an intellectual disability, we’ve learned how hard it is to find trusted respite care. Before sending Eden to Jill’s House, we had questions about volunteer training and camper safety. But from the very first intake call, we felt confident in the care she would receive. The team goes above and beyond, even sending us detailed summaries after each weekend—helping us understand what Eden did and giving us conversation starters to engage her when she comes home.

It also matters deeply to us that Jill’s House is a Christian organization. Knowing Eden is being loved and cared for by people who share our values makes all the difference. We don’t take that lightly.

If you’re a parent of a child with special needs and you’re on the fence about Jill’s House, we can’t recommend it enough. Respite is not a luxury—it’s a necessity. Our kids need it, and we, as parents, need it. You don’t realize how much it can mean to you until you experience it for yourself.

Jill’s House gives Eden the camp experience she otherwise wouldn’t have. It gives us rest. And it gives our other kids a chance to do things they couldn’t do otherwise. It’s a gift all the way around.

If we could dream big, we’d love to see weeklong summer day camps offered here in Tennessee, like they do in Virginia. Now that Eden’s aged out of many local day camps, our options are limited. She loves camp so much—we just want more opportunities for her and kids like her.

Until then, we’ll keep celebrating every Jill’s House weekend. Because for us, it’s more than camp. It’s joy. It’s respite. It’s love.

The Hart Family

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Told by Cindy Hart (Mom)

We were so thrilled when we heard about Jill’s House. Suddenly we had this community of people who understood our boys and connected with us as a family. The staff understood their needs. Nothing about our boys was new or different to them.

When Peter was born, he was a joyful surprise to our already large family. As we welcomed our seventh biological child, he also entered us into the new world of raising a child with Down syndrome. Peter also inspired us on an unexpected path into the world of special needs adoption. That’s how we welcomed his younger brother Stephen into our family.

As we started the adoption process, our goal was to have another boy a little younger than Peter and also with Down syndrome. When our adoption agency showed us a picture of Stephen, 18 months younger than Peter, we immediately felt a connection to this little boy in China.

We brought Stephen home at the age of three and a half years. As we adjusted to our new family dynamics, I began to suspect that Stephen might also have autism. It wasn’t just the language barrier. It became clear that Stephen processed the world differently. He started using a communication device, and we navigated our way through various therapies.

Even though we had all these kids and had been in the same neighborhood for a long time, we found ourselves in a whole new world. We had the support of our church and older children, but we weren’t connected to the special needs community. We were so thrilled when we heard about Jill’s House. Suddenly we had this community of people who understood our boys and connected with us as a family. The staff understood their needs. Nothing about our boys was new or different to them.

We first sent Peter, and Stephen joined soon after. Early on, they stayed in the same room together, but Stephen kept Peter up at night. So, the staff thoughtfully gave them separate rooms. That’s one of the things I love the most about Jill’s House—they understand the kids so well and know what will work the best for them.

Peter and Stephen haven’t attended the same school since preschool, due to their different needs. Their time at Jill’s House Blue Ridge camp has been a rare opportunity to share experiences. One of my favorite moments was when Stephen saw Peter do the high swing and decided to try it himself. If his big brother does something, Stephen wants to do it too! That was a thrill for all of us.

Stephen gets so excited about his upcoming Jill’s House visits. About a month away, he will start talking about it on his device. While Peter and Stephen are busy having the time of their lives, my husband and I spend our weekends reconnecting as a couple, catching up with friends, or visiting our older kids. One weekend, we even used the time to drive down to Charlottesville for an event our daughter was involved in, stayed overnight, and still had the time to do things at home before pick-up.

My husband and I loved the marriage retreat. It was remarkably wonderful to meet other couples who truly understood our journey. Being around other couples that really prioritized their marriage—and also have this unique experience of raising children with special needs—was really, really wonderful. My husband is now a regular at the Dad’s Saturday morning brunches, and I’ve joined the Thursday evening gatherings. As we connect with the community of Jill’s House parents, we gain tools and friendships. I only wish we had gotten involved sooner.

We are grateful for so many things about Jill’s House. But thank you for seeing the beauty of our children. That is what is most touching.

The Haynes Family

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Told by Sean Haynes (Dad)

We are so grateful for everyone at Jill’s House Rocky Top Camp. You can see their hearts and how much they love our kids. Everything about Jill’s House is just incredible.

Beck was around 18 months old when we first noticed a lack of eye contact, and he was only able to communicate minimally. By the time he was 3, his daycare recommended that we pursue testing. After he was evaluated, we enrolled him in early intervention services through an ABA school, where he received support for two years before starting elementary school. This early intervention set him up for success.

Beck has been attending Jill’s House for almost four years. Before that, he had never been enrolled in an overnight program. He attended a day program through our church, but it didn’t offer overnight stays. We heard from other parents in our community group that Jill’s House could be a great option for Beck, so we decided to look into it.

It’s funny—when we were asked to consider sharing our Family Story, I immediately remembered that first time we dropped off Beck like it had just happened!

I remember driving away feeling so overwhelmed and crying. My wife was working that night so I dropped off Beck alone. I don’t really know if I was crying because I was so nervous or grateful. But I remember all those emotions hitting all at once, because Beck had never been away from us!

And, if I’m honest, I never believed for a moment that he would sleep away from us. He struggled with sleep for a long period of time, and I just kept thinking, “There is no way this is going to work!” I had all the doubts in my mind!

But Beck is very trusting of us. He and I hike a lot together, and I remember one time we got lost on the trail. I kept saying, “Just one more minute, we’re almost there.” Meanwhile, he was just so trusting of me. He kept following me.

So when it was time for him to go to Jill’s House for the weekend, he was so trusting of us. He was ready to go and trusted that this was right for him. That weekend was just awesome!

Now, when Beck goes to Jill’s House we look forward to sleep, waking in the morning and lingering while we enjoy coffee and talking to one another. We usually don’t plan to do a lot over those weekends except time together.

Beck’s favorite thing about camp is the camp counselors. He has formed a special bond with some of them. While he doesn’t participate in many activities—he’s not competitive and worries about his balance—he’s not interested in the high-energy weekends, and he doesn’t like crafts. But he loves spending time with the counselors. The social interactions Beck has while he’s at camp are so good!

We are so grateful for everyone at Jill’s House Rocky Top Camp. You can see their hearts and how much they love our kids. When we arrive at camp they are waiting for Beck and openly welcome him. Allowing Beck the space for him to build relationships is incredible. Knowing that Beck is safe, incredible! Everything about Jill’s House is just incredible. But the respite is invaluable!

The Zwiebel Family

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As told by Andrew & Kate Zwiebel

Jill’s House Weekend Adventure Camp is a place where Jack can be Jack, and we are so grateful that he has a place where he is welcomed and loved!

Jack…is…awesome! He is such a good-humored, curious, and good-natured kid. He makes us laugh a lot, like when he randomly puts on his blow-up dinosaur costume! He will often play jokes on us too, like playing hide-n-seek in construction equipment while we’re on neighborhood walks.

We were married in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, while living in San Francisco, and shortly after our oldest was born, we moved to Seattle, Washington. Although the move to Seattle meant leaving family and starting a new adventure, we felt God’s presence and have continued to feel His presence throughout our family’s journey.

When I was pregnant with Jack, I remember thinking there was something different. When Jack was born, he was unable to pass the infant hearing test while in the hospital. He also had feeding and nervous system issues. We knew that early intervention was very important for Jack, so by the time he was 4 months old, he was undergoing PT, OT, and speech therapy. He also had strabismus and underwent two surgeries to correct his vision. We were hopeful that these interventions would correct his balance and motor issues, but he was still unable to hit some of his milestones.

After a few years of genetic testing and no findings, we were introduced to a new genetic test that ultimately provided us with the answers we had been searching for. Upon receiving the test results, we learned that Jack had a change on the FOXP1 gene. The way it was described to us was that this change is equivalent to having a single misspelled word in a whole set of encyclopedias. We were also told that, at that time, Jack was the only kid on record with this genetic abnormality. We were shocked! Although there was not a lot known about the FOXP1 gene, we were told that the only physician in the world studying it was located near us, at Seattle Children’s Hospital!! Talk about God’s provision for our family.

We were so encouraged and relieved to finally have some answers! We are both athletes, so when we received Jack’s diagnosis, we kept saying he was going to “Varsity FOXP1.”  Soon after, we became involved with The University of Washington’s Haring Center for Inclusive Education and early childhood intervention for children with and without disabilities— ultimately, a community of like-minded families and teachers we have grown to love. This is the community that led us to Jill’s House.

Jill’s House has allowed us to further explore the extension of a community we were already a part of, while offering safe independence for Jack through overnight camp experiences. We were pleased to know that Jack would probably attend camp with friends that he had already made through our involvement with Haring Center, but also be able to make new friends. Additionally, the religious core and mission of Jill’s House were also very important to us.

Jack has been consistently going to camp for 3 years. He loves hanging out with Jill’s House staff for the weekend, and he talks about being able to stay in his own room! At the end of a weekend at camp, he comes home tired, which means he’s also engaging in all the activities!

There are so many dimensions to camp! From archery and horseback riding to paintball and all kinds of games, there are so many great activities for the kids that are, quite frankly, hard to replicate at home. Camp provides Jack with a ton of experiences that help build his confidence and his skills—even an opportunity to show off his blow-up dinosaur costume in the camp talent show!

The first time Jack went to camp, we didn’t know what to expect or how to prepare for our weekend without him. Over time, we have realized how valuable and important respite really is, to spend time with our other children and with each other. We all look forward to those weekends now!

There have been so many God-moments throughout our journey. Jill’s House Weekend Adventure Camp is an important part of our journey and a place where Jack truly belongs.

The Adams-Nagel Family

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As told by Jan Adams

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5

Nico was born in Guatemala and entered our family through adoption when he was 6 months old. We were excited to welcome a baby into the world, but when we couldn’t conceive a child naturally or through multiple fertility treatments, we knew that adoption would be how our family would grow. Our process of adoption from Guatemala was so uncommon and totally orchestrated by God. Our names were added to a list, and we were emailed pictures and details of children seeking a forever home. For several months we received emails from the listserv, then in March 2007, we received an email with a picture of the sweetest little one-month-old baby boy. We knew instantaneously that we wanted to meet him and bring him home! We arranged to visit Guatemala and meet him in July 2007, and he came home with us on a Medical Emergency VISA in August 2007.

Nico was very ill. He was medically fragile and needed urgent care which we located in the DC area before we brought him home. He was born with severe pulmonic stenosis and had his first surgery within days of being home. He was diagnosed with failure to thrive and had plagiocephaly which required 4 rounds of Doc Band treatments. He received OT to help with the formation and use of his mouth as well as PT due to his hypotonia.  He is on the Autism spectrum.  He has hearing loss and wears bilateral hearing aids, and significant vision loss so he wears corrective lenses. Nico has Noonan Syndrome and femoral anteversion as well.

I had to leave my career in telecommunications in 2007 because I was taking Nico to 7-9 appointments a week. I fought, and still fight for Nico to receive the best care, services, and opportunities to thrive.

Before we adopted Nico, we used to volunteer with Access Ministries (a ministry for children with special needs) at McLean Bible Church. In fact, as a volunteer at MBC, I cared for Lon and Brenda Solomon’s daughter, Jill, whom Jill’s House is named after!  We remember the years of preliminary work that were so instrumental in building Jill’s House. God was working in and through our lives in preparation for Nico, long before he was even born!

When Nico turned 6 years old, we were excited to register him at Jill’s House. With no family to help in the area and having a special needs child that made staying with a typical sitter or overnight with a friend, a non-option, Jill’s House was THE OPTION.

We met and trusted the staff so much, and I knew they would love and care for him as I did. Jill’s House was going to provide Nico with his very own experiences and opportunities. Eleven years later, we have wonderful caregivers who have been a part of Nico’s life and will never be forgotten.

Between scheduling doctors’ appointments, communications with Nico’s education team (teachers, therapists, specialists), maintaining the care schedule at home, and managing my full-time work, it is hard to relax. I am also a single mom, so there’s hardly ever a moment I am fully relaxed. But the school nights when Nico is at Jill’s House are a huge blessing! It is nice to have a break during the week when I don’t have to think about meals or the schedule, I can unwind, or work a few extra hours if I need to. Those nights are such a gift. But truly, the gift is for Nico. Where else would a kid have the opportunity to swim in an indoor pool before dinner on a school night?!

Nico thrives with a schedule and when he knows what to expect. When the Jill’s House bus arrives at school, he is excited to climb on and greet his friends, and he anticipates all the fun he’ll have when they arrive at Jill’s House. At Jill’s House, Nico gets to build relationships with kids and have fun with the staff and volunteers. Jill’s House staff and volunteers treat him like a typical child. They treat him with honor and respect, and the special child he is!

Our life is very complicated! So overnight respite is truly what I need. Jill’s House helps me to relax. There are very few places where Nico feels comfortable, safe, and loved unconditionally. Jill’s House is one that truly gives me the freedom to pause, breathe, and relax.

The Damm Family

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As told by Nadia and Joe Damm

 

Jill’s House is a gift from God. We can’t believe we get to enjoy it multiple weekends a year! We are so grateful that this is something our family can benefit from for years to come. Thank you, Jill’s House!

Before we had our children, we befriended a woman who has since become Alyssa’s volunteer Buddy at Windy City camp. This dear woman would share her experiences as a camp volunteer, and it always amazed us that people like her were willing to give up their weekends in that way! It was by God’s grace that this sweet woman entered our lives almost 16 years ago.

We have had a variety of experiences raising a daughter with Down syndrome. From doctors who didn’t see the value of life and encouraged us to terminate the pregnancy to inconsistent and challenging respite services, at times, it seemed as if the world did not want Alyssa here. At least, that’s how we felt. But we have also encountered many people who genuinely love our daughter, and Jill’s House offers that to our family!

Alyssa’s siblings have enjoyed going to camp for years, and Alyssa began asking for the same experience. We kept hearing about Jill’s House from our friend who volunteers there, and since Alyssa, at nine years old, seemed to be at the right age, we decided she was ready to go.

Though the intake process took a while, it was extremely comforting and helped in building our trust. Indeed, an immense amount of trust was required to place our child in someone else’s care. All the questions we were asked made us feel like they understood our daughter, and nothing excluded her from participating in camp. Through the whole process, I gained a new perspective on our lives and what we work through day to day with Alyssa. Although we felt reluctant about entrusting her to someone else, aware of what goes into caring for our child, every detail about Alyssa was taken into thoughtful consideration by Jill’s House, and they were excited to have her at camp.

Alyssa is adventurous and outgoing. During our Meet and Greet before her camp weekend, she toured the grounds, saw where she would sleep, explored the activity spaces, and enjoyed the outdoor activities. She was excited for camp and raring to go!

When her first Jill’s House weekend arrived, the whole family dropped Alyssa off at camp. Her brother and sister really wanted to see where Alyssa would be staying. We also decided to stay near the camp that weekend. We relaxed, lingered, and just talked. We gave one another time to share. We couldn’t believe how much we all relaxed and bonded. The weekend was amazing! Our older kids kept saying how much they needed it!

Alyssa had a fantastic time at camp, too. While she is outgoing, she still feels her way through every situation. We were so happy to learn that she enjoyed playing with her Buddy and our good friend the whole weekend! She picked up on cues that everyone there was happy to have her, and she felt safe. She was given choices, and she thrived!

At the end of the weekend, we were all so excited to be together again! Alyssa came home wanting to say grace at mealtime and share the devotionals and prayers they said at camp. We all felt refreshed and renewed; it was just the right amount to reset.

The Levine Family

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As told by Pam and Jesse Levine

 

To have Jill’s House available when before you had nothing, and then to have people who are so empathetic and gentle with your child. . . you can’t ask for anything more!

We always knew that we would adopt a child. Even when we were young and dating, we talked about adoption. We brought our first daughter home from China and quickly pursued adopting another girl so that the girls would each have a sister. Then after a couple of years, we adopted Jax!

We adopted Jax when he was three years old. We knew it would take some time for him to become acclimated to our family and to America. He had been in a Chinese orphanage for the first three years of his life. We noticed some developmental delays, but over time, we realized that there was more going on than just difficulty in adjusting to life with us. Originally, he was diagnosed with ADHD. Then after displaying further signs of delay, he received an intellectual disability diagnosis when he was about five years old.

As a family, we say, “Everything is figure-out-able.” We have moved a lot; we have faced frequent health concerns. We have received unexpected diagnoses, but we have always been able to figure it all out. We knew that no matter what we were facing with Jax, that we would be able to figure it out together!

Over the years we have had attendants to help with Jax after school, or for a few hours on a weekend, but we never had a full weekend of help or respite. As Jax grew older and we experienced new challenges, we also began to grow weary of finding relationships and activities for him to gain independence and help develop his social skills. One day, my husband did a Google search and discovered Jill’s House! We’ve never lived near family, and we always felt nervous about leaving the kids with anyone. But Jax would hear other kids talk about overnight sleepovers at a friend’s house, and he would ask if he could have those same experiences.

We decided to complete the paperwork for Jill’s House. Before Jax had his first overnight there, we were invited to the Jill’s House Family Christmas Party. We were able to see other families, and I was able to meet other Jill’s House moms. I enjoyed chatting with them and felt comfortable asking my burning question, which was, “Is it really safe there?” I wasn’t sure if Jax could verbalize if things weren’t right, and I was nervous. The moms understood my concerns without judgement and plainly said, “We’ve been here for 12 years, and it’s the safest place for our kids!” These moms explained that there are so many eyes on the kids while they are at Jill’s House, between the nurses and the program staff, and that it is just as safe as my own home!

Jax finally had his first weekend at Jill’s House in January. We were so nervous! We let him take his phone so he could text us at any time. The first night, he sent us a text saying, “Good night. I love Jill’s House!” We were so excited. The next day, he ignored us! We sent him a text in the morning, and again in the afternoon, but we never heard back from him. We decided to call later that afternoon just to see if he was okay and ask if his phone had been taken away. The supervisor shared that Jax was having a great time. He was busy, engaged in fun activities and was doing great! We were relieved, and we were finally able to fully relax! Now, when we drop him off, he barely says goodbye before jumping out of the car.

We attended the Family Retreat and had such a great time! Seeing the other Jill’s House families and knowing that, even though our families are all different, we all face some of the same things, was awesome! We were able to connect with other parents and get to know the staff even better. Jax also had such a great time with the staff. He really loves them!

Jax is going to high school next year and is very excited. He is part of a teen boy’s group with Boys and Girls Club of America, but he says his favorite activity is going to Jill’s House, where he feels so loved and welcomed! To have Jill’s House available when before you had nothing, and then to have people who are so empathetic and gentle with your child. . . you can’t ask for anything more.

 

The Farrell Family

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Told by Sean and Jenee Farrell

For Sam, Jill’s House Rocky Top Camp in Nashville is the happiest place on the planet! It’s his most favorite place to be.

Sam has been attending Jill’s House Weekend Adventures Camp since he was 12 years old. We started exploring different day camps and programs for Sam long before we sent him to Jill’s House. We wanted him to experience the youth church programs that meant a lot to us during our own childhood. However, we went through some frustrating experiences when Sam was turned away from other programs that couldn’t accommodate him. It was heartbreaking!

When we first heard about Jill’s House, we had obvious concerns. But when we met with the Local Program Manager, we were very impressed by the depth of her questions and her interest in Sam and his motivations. We were relieved to hear that Sam would be welcomed, cared for, and kept happy.

Sam is very social and loves to be active. He has a huge heart and a great sense of humor. He loves water slides, roller coasters, music, and dancing. He enjoys helping in the kitchen and likes knowing that he’s done something well. Although we were sure that camp would be a great experience for him, we were still cautiously optimistic.

When the first weekend arrived, we anxiously waited for the phone call asking us to pick him up—the call to tell us that they could no longer accommodate Sam. This is what we had been used to. But the call never came! Then, when we picked Sam up at the end of the weekend, he was radiating happiness. Pictures of him from that weekend—and those of many others he’s attended since then—show him with the biggest smile and a constant look of pure joy. We finally found what we had been looking for!

Sam excels in an environment that is set up specifically for him. Inclusivity is good too, for many reasons. But Sam thrives better in an environment that is designed just for him, and Jill’s House offers that experience. Everything that Jill’s House offers has been designed with him and other kids like him in mind.

Once we realized that Sam was going to be comfortable and accepted at Jill’s House, we felt immense gratitude, as if we had all been given the most tremendous gift.

Having a child with special needs can be difficult. We know Sam’s younger brother also feels that. But we also see how our family has grown in being compassionate and understanding of one another, and other families too. While Sam is at Jill’s House, we have been able to use the opportunity to connect in our marriage and take our younger son to activities that don’t interest Sam.

Sam is now 17 years old and will graduate from high school this spring. During the fall, he will move into vocational training, where he will continue to develop skills for employment. He enjoys helping in the school cafeteria and also works in the school store. Sam has a big heart and even bigger enthusiasm. He’s a popular guy wherever he goes!

When Sam comes home from camp, he will go through the whole list of foods he ate and the activities he did. And he would always ask to return! We have so many emotions as we consider this next chapter in Sam’s life. We are excited, yet we also feel sad that his time at Jill’s House is coming to an end. We will always be grateful for Jill’s House and the incredibly passionate staff at Jill’s House and Camp Rocky Top!

 

The Hansen Family

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Told by Grant and Julie Hansen

Olivia is 11 years old! She loves to be with people and socialize. She participates in her cheer team, plays all kinds of sports, and is a member of our local Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts troops. She also loves going out to eat and cooking food at home. She would say her least favorite thing is feeling bored, so we try to fill her days with activities she enjoys!

Olivia also loves being around people. Before she could even talk, she would manage to put herself in the middle of other kids while playing. As social as she is now, you wouldn’t be able to guess that she didn’t begin talking until after her 5th birthday!

We heard about Jill’s House from a Facebook group for parents who have children with autism. A parent mentioned that she had sent her son to Jill’s House, and he had a great time there. We had looked into other overnight opportunities for Olivia, but they either were week-long camps that we knew wouldn’t be a good fit for her or just didn’t feel right to us. However, Jill’s House and the local Garden State weekend camp were exactly what we were looking for!

Eventually, we were able to visit the camp and knew right away that it would be the perfect experience for Olivia. We wanted her to feel confident that she could be without us and still be okay. The Garden State Local Program Manager made us feel so comfortable! We were even told that if Olivia needed to talk to us at any time during her first stay, the staff would allow her to call home. But her first stay at Garden State camp was a perfect experience for her, and we didn’t hear from her at all!

Finding support is challenging. Olivia’s weekend away at camp was the first time we were alone in 11 years. We were so excited to have this time together that we probably stacked our weekend with too many fun things, but it was very special for us. The best part of our weekend by far was knowing that Olivia was safe and having a great time.

When we picked Olivia up at the end of the weekend, she got in the car and kept asking us when she could go back. Although she doesn’t share a lot of details about her time at camp, we learned that her favorite activity was the zip line, which she was able to ride twice. She also enjoyed playing in the pool and loved having a sleepover with her friend in the cabin.

We are truly grateful for Jill’s House. We think it’s amazing that Olivia has had this opportunity and that Jill’s House allows her to thrive in a safe environment among other kids. Now that her needs for social interaction with her friends are being met, it is helping her grow socially and our comfort level has grown too, because we know that Olivia will be ok.

We love Jill’s House so much!