ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, August 7, 1996 TAG: 9608070006
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: KATHY LU STAFF WRITER
When the Elm Tree Group Home discharged Brenda Donathon from its care in 1992, the discharge notice said she couldn't cope with the freedom of group-home living.
Four years later, Brenda, who was born with cerebral palsy, is living alone in one of Blacksburg's Shawnee Apartments, doing her own laundry, walking her golden retriever, Zach, and supporting herself with a part-time job as a greeter for the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Christiansburg.
"As far as disability goes, she's probably one of the most challenged individuals in our program," said Lee Wrenn, an employment specialist for Supported Employment Program, a part of the New River Valley Community Services agency.
"But she has also probably come the furthest and is one of the more successful placements that we've had."
Donathon works from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at Wal-Mart. From her motorized wheelchair, she smiles and says hello to everyone who walks into the entrance where she works.
Donathon has been diagnosed with severe to moderate mental retardation and has a speech handicap that allows her to say only a few words at a time. Through Donathon's service provider, who can help interpret her words, she exclaimed that it can get hard having to say hello all the time.
"She really enjoys people," said Mary Nash, Donathon's service provider. "But she especially loves children and babies. She really lights up when they come through."
Nash works with Donathon 40 hours a week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. She is contracted through Supported Living, another branch of the New River Valley Community Services. As a service provider, Nash mainly gives Donathon assistance and support - such as making doctor's appointments or getting groceries.
"We're initiating Brenda to take on as much as possible," Wrenn said. "Our ultimate goal is for her to have total independence."
As one of two employment specialists, Wrenn works to place disabled individuals at a job that matches their personalities and needs. In the eight years that Wrenn has worked with the program, more than 80 people have been placed in jobs.
Once the employment specialist is certain that the person they've worked with is happy and that the job is good, said Wrenn, he fades out of the picture. Service providers like Nash can be contracted for those who are more severely disabled.
Donathon, 36, was born prematurely with cerebral palsy and a dislocated hip. She was also the last of seven children in her Giles County home.
According to her biography, she was sent to the Lynchburg Training School and Hospital at age 10, transferred to the Hillsville Training Center at 19, then Elmtree seven years later, and finally ended her group home stays at the Fairlawn House Group Home, where she arrived at the age of 32 and left at 33.
Throughout her years at the group homes, Donathon said in her biography that she would be taught to sew, count, use the telephone and washers and dryers without being told why. And no one ever helped her to understand what she was learning.
To show her frustration, Donathon would lash out with "aggressive behaviors," as Hillsville recorded, and even tried to hurt herself by refusing medication.
Now, Donathon lives by a regular schedule and is only mildly troubled by having to get up in the mornings. On workdays, Donathon's alarm goes off at 8 a.m., which gives her time to dress, eat, take medications and perhaps take Zach for a walk. When she gets home from work, she usually watches television, works on her needlepoint or goes shopping.
"She doesn't like to sit around the house, she likes to get out and be on the go," Nash said. "On her days off, we would go out to eat, go to the mall, visit friends or just ride around."
When Nash leaves at 5 p.m., another service provider arrives to be with Donathon until 1 a.m., after which she is on her own until the next morning. Donathon usually goes to bed at about midnight or one in the morning.
Using mostly paychecks now to buy her food instead of food stamps, Donathon is thriving in her independence. But that doesn't mean she likes paying the rent, phone bill and electric bill, all of which cause her to shake her head.
"We're real proud of Brenda," Wrenn said. "I'm glad we've been able to help her achieve her goals."
LENGTH: Medium: 86 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: GENE DALTON/Staff. Brenda Donathon greets customerby CNBRachael Wood at the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Christiansburg. From her
motorized wheelchair, Donathon smiles and says hello to everyone who
walks into the store. color