Josh says, “I believe that the more I can do, the better off my life is going to be.”

Life to the Fullest

Posted November 19, 2010

Josh currently works as an integral staff member for the Veterans Administration.

WHEN JOSH ECHOLS’ parents learned their son had Cerebral Palsy, they knew he would face many struggles ahead. But they kept their eyes on one prize: they were determined that one day, Josh, just like his normally developing siblings, would graduate from high school.

And he did—but then, the family found themselves at an impasse. “After high school, we felt like there was a world out there that really didn’t care anymore,” remembers Josh’s mother, Suzanne. With seemingly no prospects and no new goals, Josh restlessly wheeled his chair around the house. “I was starting to wear out the carpet,” he jokes.

Josh aspired higher. He wanted greater independence. He wanted a career. Simply put, “I needed hope,” Josh says.

An Unexpected Resource

Then the Echols found out about The Full Life Ahead Foundation—a Birmingham, Ala.-based organization dedicated to helping children, teenagers and young adults with all forms of disAbilities overcome obstacles to achieve their dreams.

The group was founded by Judy and Henry Barclay, whose own daughter, Dine (pronounced "Denny"), had a seizure disorder and died at 22 inexplicably after surgery; and Jan Cobb and Mike Cobb, also the parents of a child with disAbilities. The Barclays and Cobbs felt that the lessons they had learned from addressing their children’s special needs gave them a unique opportunity to help other families affected by disAbilities.

“Dine was so full of life and gave us so much,” Judy says, “we wanted to give back and help other families avoid the struggles that we went through.”

Not long after Dine’s death, Judy and Jan co-wrote “Full Life Ahead: A Workbook and Guide to Adult Life for Students with DisAbilities and their Families.” It started with a printing of fewer than 100 copies but today is distributed in the thousands around the country. Its impact led to the creation of the Foundation itself. As one of their many services (most are free), the Foundation offers weekend camps aimed at supporting, encouraging and connecting families with similar needs.

Crossing a Threshold

One of these weekend retreats, held at Children’s Harbor at Lake Martin, proved to be a major breakthrough for Josh. “We spent a couple of nights there and it was an environment where Josh was all of a sudden able to be independent, and this was a really big thing,” Suzanne says. “It was the first time in his life that he left a room—we were in a cabin—and he was able to open the door, wheel outside, go to an entirely different part of the campground, attend a meeting, and stay as long as he wanted without his mother or dad having to escort him.”

The weekend retreat was just a beginning, Suzanne adds. “Josh had lost hope, and Full Life Ahead helped him adjust his attitude and get his hope back. It helped to rescue him from what was turning into depression.”

The next breakthrough occurred when a job coach mentioned to Josh that he had connected someone else with a job working at a local Veterans Administration Hospital. “That planted a seed in Josh, and he knew he wanted that,” Suzanne says.

Josh had worked for a local grocery store, but the weekend at Children’s Harbor helped him realize his many gifts, and he knew he wanted a career—not just a job. He applied and was hired at the VA, initially to greet people as they entered; later, he visited people in the various hospital clinics.

Soon he was promoted to working with veterans on computer-software programs. “I feel like I’m appreciated here,” says Josh, who radiates confidence, arrives at work impeccably dressed in a suit. He has become an integral member of the hospital staff.

As Josh puts it, “I believe that the more I can do, the better off my life is going to be.”

For more information on The Full Life Ahead Foundation, visit www.fulllifeahead.org.

THE FULL LIFE AHEAD FOUNDATION and THE BARCLAYS are Regions customers.

* The word "disAbilities" in this story is spelled with a capital "A" to place the emphasis on "Abilities," reflecting the philosophy of the Full Life Ahead Foundation.

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