Mission Moment

Dungarvin Colorado Supports Woman’s ‘Rise from the Ashes’

To Dungarvin Program Director Lori Schult, Raena is a “phoenix – risen from the ashes.” The 46-year-old woman with Down syndrome has been through much adversity, including an abusive relationship. But today, she is safe, living a contented life, thanks to help from her family and knowledgeable support from staff at Dungarvin Colorado.

Lori began working with Raena about five years ago, when Raena was receiving in-home assistance from Dungarvin. She was married at the time and living with her now ex-husband’s parents. Her ex-husband also has Down syndrome and his parents hired private caregivers to assist him rather than opting for services through a Medicaid waiver.

Not long after Lori met Raena, she began to notice her ex-husband and his family exerting more control over Raena, influencing her decisions, even convincing her not to see her own family and friends.

Raena’s mom, Bev Schnitker, said she can’t count the times she called Lori about Raena, often crying from her worry. “I said, ‘Lori we need some help; something’s going on.’ Kathy Frank (Raena’s Dungarvin DSP at the time) would go over and she would be harassed by the family. It was horrible. There was no way we could get in because their caregiver was the gatekeeper.”

On one occasion, Bev and one of Raena’s aunts, who she hadn’t seen for a long time, went to Raena’s house to bring her gifts for her birthday. But due to fear of her ex-husband’s family and staff, Raena met them at the door, took the gifts and closed the door on them. “They were just extremely shut out,” Lori said.

Lori and Dungarvin staff met with the ex-husband’s caregiver several times to establish their role in Raena’s support. They also continued to reach out to Raena as often as possible. “We were just trying to help her realize there were other people in her life who cared about her and who she could do things with, and that we were responsible for certain things, not the family’s hired caregiver,” Lori said.

Later, the Dungarvin team learned that besides the control and isolation Raena was enduring, the family-hired caregiver in the house was stealing money Raena made from her former grocery store job. This staff person also convinced a neurologist that Raena had dementia, which led to her being prescribed medications that made her head foggy.

It was a violent incident two years ago that led to Raena’s eventual rescue from this horrible situation. Abuse from her ex-husband landed her in the hospital and in need of surgery due to her injuries. Charges were pressed against him, his family and their hired staff, and court orders ensued. Thankfully, after getting out of the hospital, Raena went to live with her parents – finally getting away from this dangerous situation for good.

Recovery and a Better Life

It was a long road to recovery, but Raena’s family and Lori’s team were there to assist every step of the way. “They really came in and just took over because I needed help,” Bev said. “They were there, and I can’t thank them enough.”

One of the first things Bev did was get Raena off the unnecessary medications she had been on, which cleared her head. She helped Raena get healthy again, including building back her self-esteem.

Earlier this year, Raena moved in with her brother, Neil, and his husband. The siblings have been very close since they were kids, with Neil being a fierce protector of his sister during childhood. To support her now, he completed Dungarvin’s Family Caregiver training.

Raena now attends a Dungarvin Day Program two or three days a week, making new friends there. She has a boyfriend, of whom everybody – friends and family alike – approve. Lori said she sees a huge change in Raena.

“She ran right up to the Dungarvin staff, hugging them and saying ‘Hello!’ Before, she would usually stand with her head down or behind her DSP, not making eye contact or talking to anyone.”

Raena said she’s enjoying the Day Program and her new life. “It’s really awesome. We go out and about sometimes. We go shopping. I get to hang around with my new friends and stuff like that.”

For more information on supporting a loved one with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, please visit Home – Dungarvin. If you are interested in joining the Dungarvin team, see employment opportunities at Dungarvin – Employment.