Mental Health Victory

My experience starts 40 years prior.  I grew up next door to a family with a mentally handicapped daughter as the oldest of four children.  She has the mental capacity of about a 20-month old.  She is 17 years older than me, so she has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.  She was in school as a small child and again as an adult, but only for a few weeks.  At any rate, she hasn't been in a learning environment outside of home in many years.  After learning about the stigma of mental illness in the 1950's, I can understand why, though they never "hid" her.  They took her out and about when necessary.  A trip to McDonalds (the same McDonalds) everyday is necessary.

She is a very loving and outgoing person, "speaking" to and touching everyone with very few of the social inhibitions that a normal person has. 

About 3 months ago, because of a change in her family situation, it made it almost mandatory for her to go to a day program for several hours each day.

Until this point, the only real "spark" of cognitive ability that I had seen in her besides dressing, eating, etc. was matching socks.  She couldn't fold them, but I remember her matching colored socks when she was in a good mood and felt like it.

Last Sunday, I was invited to her baptism.  I was excited for her, but was unsure how she would handle being in that setting, having to sit quietly, not touching, calling out, etc, for an hour and then getting sprinkled by the preacher.

The change in her behavior, since starting school, was amazing.  She was able to sit quietly, with few outbursts (none that could be heard beyond the two rows that she and the rest of her family were on).  When it was time to go forward, she went down quietly, without running with her parents to the front.  She let the minister sprinkle her, then walk with her down both aisles and around the congregation.  I was so proud of her.  She must be working very hard at "school."

It is very encouraging to me to know that someone who is 57 years old is still capable of learning and responding to therapy.