With One Sky, Michael is hard at work developing every aspect of his life. He gets around in a wheelchair due to cerebral palsy. For the past three years, he’s met with Jim, who, following emergency quadruple bypass surgery, pledged to enrich the lives of others by volunteering. “Little did I know,” says Jim, “how much my own life would be enriched.” With One Sky’s guidance, Michael enrolled in ‘Synergy’, a health and fitness center at Exeter Hospital. “Through exercise in the gym and the pool,” Jim explains, “Michael has increased his strength and durability. We began with a flotation device to help him feel secure in the water. He now is able to walk many lengths of the pool unassisted, without any devices."
“My services at One Sky are good and I have a nice Service Coordinator,” says Michael. His communication skills took a leap forward when he consulted with NH ATech to choose a communication facilitator to attach to his wheelchair, and purchased it with Medicaid funds. Michael’s Service Coordinator got creative when it came to teaching Michael how to get the most out of his communication device. She wrote grants to raise funds to send Michael on a two-week trip to Temple University in Pennsylvania, where specialists taught him how to optimize his use of the device. The grant funds, combined with funding from One Sky, Medicaid, and Easter Seals, covered the costs of the trip and the training.
Michael lives at home with his parents. Until recently, family members had carried him up and down stairs to get in and out of the house. Then Michael’s Service Coordinator persuaded the family to install a wheelchair lift, affordable with environmental modification funds through Medicaid.
Michael is happy-go-lucky by nature and meets people everywhere he goes. As part of his Day Program, he explores his local community weekly in the company of a different One Sky consumer each day. His work experience includes mail delivery at Easter Seals, computer data entry, food product preparation and placement. One Sky has made it possible for Michael to attend Great Bay Community College for computer training. He’s an active member of his church. His aide, Jim, says One Sky gives Michael a new lease on life, and, “his radiant smile, enthusiasm and desire to achieve brighten the days for all of us in the community.”