Mark's Story

Mark lives a good life now. He has an at home program, residing with his family and practicing self determination. He has a staff of three people who are his companions. Together with any one of them, Mark is able to be in the community and pursue his many interests, such as art, movies, concerts, swimming, sailing, adaptive water sports, walking, bowling and his most recent one-video games!

This summer he vacationed at The World Fellowship Center in Conway, New Hampshire, in the White Mountains. In this accepting environment he was able to enjoy himself and behave normally, even eating in a crowded dining hall.

Things were not always so good. A few years ago, Mark was removed from a group home after being severely abused over a period of months. He still suffers trauma from that experience. Mark is a 36 year old man with autism. He is very cognizant of what is going on around him, but he is extremely vulnerable. For this reason his family has turned to PALS Inc. to build a network of friends and advocates around him, in order to maintain his security and lifestyle when his aging, widowed mother is no longer with him. His sister is part of the network and it will also be a source of support for her. The seeds of Mark’s network have just been planted and anyone interested in cultivating it, will be very welcome.

Written by Mark’s mom Jeanne Willig