God Has Met Families with Disabilities with Love in Every Season of Life

“Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.”

Psalm 17:8 

When they were young, Cherry, a biologist and geneticist, and her husband Ron, a successful naval officer, felt like life was going according to their plans. Then, more than 50 years ago, their daughter, Jenny, was born with Down syndrome. Even though Cherry knew about Down syndrome from her professional life, nothing prepared her and Ron for disability to become part of their family’s life.  

Adding to the challenges of navigating their baby’s disability, Cherry’s mother died unexpectedly soon after Jenny’s birth. Cherry recalls crying out to God saying, “If you’re real, we need to talk, because life isn’t supposed to turn out this way.” And as Cherry and Ron sought God, even to express their fear and anger, He met them with love. 

Experiencing Family Retreat after 50 years living with disability 

Today, Cherry and Ron struggle with health challenges as they continue to care for Jenny. Ron is living with Alzheimer’s and Cherry has been diagnosed with skin cancer. One day, just as Cherry recalls feeling like she was barely treading water, about to go under, she received a call from our Joni and Friends^® staff member suggesting that she sign up for Family Retreat. 

As Cherry says, “I decided we would come to Family Retreat thinking it might be the last trip we would get to take as a family.” She couldn’t imagine the love, joy, and hope that awaited them.  

Arriving at Family Retreat, Cherry, Ron, and Jenny were overwhelmed with the warm welcome of cheering volunteers.  

“It was like driving into a huge hug,” Cherry says. “I told my family, ‘they actually see us!’ That may sound strange, but it was like a breath of fresh air. It was so powerful.” 

Joy for Jenny 

Jenny immediately connected with her volunteer buddy and had a blast throughout the week. “I had so much fun that I couldn’t go to bed and I was full of excitement,” she says. “I enjoyed every minute… this camp means everything to me.”  

Cherry and Ron sat and watched Jenny perform a moving rendition of “I Can Only Imagine” in sign language at an evening talent show. Cherry marveled at the excitement and joy in the room.

“All the cheering, all the clapping, all the foot stomping. Oh, it was like the rafters were coming down, and I could just picture Jesus sitting in the back with this big grin on his face and saying, ‘They get it, they’re celebrating because they’re precious in my sight, and not because of how they perform.’” 

Community for Ron and Cherry 

Ron enjoyed the community of other men with similar life experiences regarding caring for a child with disability.

“It was very interesting, because I’ve never been in a small group that was as open to sharing what was going on in their lives.” 

Cherry experienced the community of other mothers at Family Retreat. “Everybody was so tender and so compassionate and so understanding. It was unbelievable to me. I felt like I had all this pressure building up. And so, for me to open up on that was just such an amazing gift… It was the most authentic Christian fellowship I have ever experienced, and I am 85!”  

Love to carry into the future… 

Toward the end of Family Retreat, A Joni and Friends staff member sat down with Cherry to reflect on the week. Cherry shared a fear that this would be their last opportunity to attend due to Ron’s diagnosis. Our team member assured her that her family will be accommodated and welcomed in every season and circumstance ahead.

“That touched me at a deeper level than I could ever put into words,” says Cherry. “It just brought me to tears.”