Daphne
JONI: Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with my good friend and co-worker, Deborah.
Deborah thanks for being here.
DEBORAH: Thanks for having me.
JONI: I want my friend listening to know that you not only work at Joni and Friends, but you help me get up in the mornings. And you also volunteered this past summer at a Joni and Friends Family Retreat. Deborah, thank you for serving the special needs families. What did you think it was like? How was it? Did you enjoy it?
DEBORAH: Yes, it was so much fun getting to meet all the children of disabilities and the adults and getting to know their families; how they live day-to-day life is always so fun at Family Retreat.
JONI: Absolutely. You know the families are the ones who do the 24/7 nonstop routines, and you, Deborah, had a chance to give a mom and a dad a little bit of a break. And I think your camper’s name was Daphne to whom you were assigned, was that right?
DEBORAH: Yes, Daphne.
JONI: So tell me a little bit about the challenges of helping her
DEBORAH: Well Daphne has autism and so she was very sensitive to noises. She wore noise-cancelling headphones all week, and it made it a little difficult to communicate with her. We had to learn how to ask questions directly, and ask her “yes” or “no” answers, but it was good. She did a good job communicating with us, and we learned by the end of the week how to talk with her. She also had a lot of energy. She would run all the time, just randomly get up and run out of the building. And we would chase her down to catch her an get her to the right spot.
JONI: Now when you said you had to chase her I’m going to assume that means there was another volunteer who was also assigned to her, right?
DEBORAH: Right – me and another girl named Ella.
JONI: Sometimes it takes that, doesn’t it, with kids that are high on the autism spectrum?
DEBORAH: Yes, it was a lot of work, but it was fun.
JONI: So do you think the message of Christ’s love got through to this girl with such profound needs?
DEBORAH: Yes, all throughout the week Daphne loved to write on the dry erase board, and she would do that during group time because a lot of times there were too many people for her and too much noise. So, she would write on the dry erase board. And so at the talent night she wrote on the board that “God loves Daphne and Jesus loves Daphne.” So we knew that she had heard the lesson throughout the week, and learned it in her heart as well.
JONI: How did the audience react when they saw her write that up on the white board?
DEBORAH: Oh, the crowd went wild. Everyone was cheering and yelling and just so happy for her that she understood and could write it to all of us.
JONI: What a way to affirm a kid with special needs, right?
DEBORAH: Yes.
JONI: Well, if it took you and another volunteer to help Daphne what do you think it is like for mom and dad to help her nonstop 24/7 all year long?
DEBORAH: I can’t imagine what it is like to work with her all the time, but you know throughout the week we got to know her parents pretty well too, at mealtimes. And they are so sweet with Daphne and so patient and kind toward her and teaching her the right way to do things and the right things to say. I am sure they do a great job at home.
JONI: Do you think they were appreciative of the week that they had at family retreat, just to have that little bit of time off?
DEBORAH: Oh, yes, for sure, there were a lot of tears when we were saying goodbye.
JONI: There may be a few friends listening and I think they would like to step into your shoes. Do you think you would advise them to come and serve, as you did, at a family retreat?
DEBORAH: Of course, if you want to serve at a family retreat you should, and if you feel inadequate or not sure of yourself in any way, go anyway because the Lord will provide for you and give you strength no matter how you are feeling about it.
JONI: Well you are the best “salesperson” for family retreat. I thank you so much Deborah for being here. Friends listening, if you would like to serve a family like Daphne’s, believe me you are needed, right Deborah? Parents of special needs kids like her hardly ever get a break. So make plans now to volunteer with Joni and Friends next summer and serve at a Family Retreat. You’ll go thinking you’ll be a blessing, but you’ll return being blessed most of all! If you want all the details just visit our Family Retreat page at joniandfriends.org for all the details. Thanks Deborah.
DEBORAH: You’re welcome.
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