ETB 55: Fostering a Community of Hope and Inclusion through Adaptive Activities and Sports with the Christina Sullivan Foundation

ETB 55: Prepare to be deeply moved by the remarkable journey of Josephine Sullivan, founder and CEO of the Christina Sullivan Foundation. This episode offers a powerful narrative of love, faith, and unwavering commitment as Josephine shares the story of her daughter Christina, a vibrant soul who was born with severe brain injury, cerebral palsy, and a seizure disorder. Listen as she chronicles how her unconditional love for Christina spurred the creation of a foundation that has since then sparked hope and positivity to over 247 athletes of varying abilities.

As we steer the conversation towards inclusive sports for children and adults with differing abilities, we uncover the deep ties Josephine formed with medical professionals. These resulting collaborations have been instrumental in the growth  of the Christina Sullivan Foundation's comprehensive adaptive and inclusive activities and sports programs. The Christina Sullivan Foundation is not just about sports, it's about creating a nurturing and inclusive environment. From adaptive tennis, bowling and bocce ball to choirs and eSports, the foundation aims to offer a wide range of activities that cater to every individual's unique talents and interests. And, there’s more to come with the upcoming music and art camp pilot program and a chess club.

As we gear up for the upcoming event at Moody Gardens, a collaboration with the Christina Sullivan Foundation, we discuss the exciting array of activities and the celebration of hope and inclusion it promises. This free event is a testament to the foundation's dedication to fostering a sense of belonging and inclusion for people of all abilities and their families. We wrap up our conversation by focusing on adaptive exercises for children with intellectual and physical disabilities, discussing the importance of community support for such initiatives, and uncovering Josephine's latest creative venture – a café at the foundation. Tune in for a heartening discussion and learn how you can contribute to this noble cause.

Connect with the Christina Sullivan Foundation:
The Christina Sullivan Foundation is dedicated to helping medically dependent children and adults with intellectual and physical challenges and their families. Our intake specialists can help guide your search for necessary resources involving medical, educational, legal, and social networks to assist in caring for your loved one’s health, safety, and well-being. Contact us and let us know how we can help!
https://www.christinasullivanfoundation.org/
http://info@christinasullivanfoundation.org

GriefShare
https://www.griefshare.org/

Connect with Sandy:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/sandydeppisch
Embrace the Blessing Facebook Group: http://bit.ly/ETB4ME
Website: http://www.embracetheblessing.com/

Transcript

Sandy: 0:05

Hey there, I'm Sandy Deppish, and this is the Embrace the Blessing podcast. Each week, I talk with a parent who has a child with a disability. They share their biggest challenge, their greatest joy and their hopes and dreams for the future. You'll learn about resources available to you and discover helpful hints and tips If you want to be inspired and encouraged, stick around. Let's walk the road less traveled together. It is such a joy to have my next guest on the show. This woman and her husband, their entire family, are just some of the most incredible people you'll ever want to meet, and it truly is my blessing to have you here today. So what I would love for you to do is to introduce yourself and tell us all a little bit about you.

Josephine: 0:57

Okay, thank you for having me. This is a true blessing to be here with you. My name is Josephine Sullivan. I am the founder, one of the founders and the CEO of the Christina Sullivan Foundation. Christina was our daughter, still is, but she's up in heaven, and we did this foundation in her memory. I'd like to say we were so guided by our heavenly father and Christina for this incredible journey that we're on right now.

Sandy: 1:28

Yeah, Christina. Tell us about Christina.

Josephine: 1:33

Oh Christina. She was severely brain injured, cerebral palsy, g tube fed seizure disorder. Oh my gosh, there's so much more to Nina nonverbal, of course, wheelchair bound, but that smile in the morning, it just woke you up. It just gave you that sense of knowing what unconditional love is and she really helped us understand what life was really all about and that's caring for one another. And she was just a teacher here on earth. She went to heaven at the age of almost 33.

Sandy: 2:16

So did you know prior to her birth that she was going to have disabilities?

Josephine: 2:21

No, no, in fact, it was a normal pregnancy. I've never questioned it, though, sandy. It was just even after hearing, overhearing the nurses say she wasn't going to live through the night. And that's when I started to pray Wow, at the age of 23, to please leave her, blessed mother, please leave her, and I will profess my faith in everything that I do, and someday I'll bring her to our lady of lords in France and submerge her in the holy waters. And I got to do that, that's amazing.

Sandy: 3:11

Wow, you were 23. Did you have another child at that point? Or she was your oldest?

Josephine: 3:20

She was my oldest. We were blessed with our son, christian, 10 years later, and that was a gift that our heavenly father had given to Craig and I, just for loving me so much.

Sandy: 3:40

That's so amazing, so you've already kind of alluded to it. But what inspired you to start your foundation?

Josephine: 3:49

Oh, this is. This is an amazing journey. My neighbor saw me hopelessly in grief six months after Nina had gone to heaven and she said, josephine, you really need to go to grief share. That's a 13 week program at Moody Methodist Moody Methodist Church. So I went and I'm not one for groups where I wasn't, but I understand now. And when I went there and we're all around the table and one lady was crying for her mother she had just lost and of course you tell about the loved one that has gone to heaven and afterwards she came up to me and she said no-transcript, my granddaughter sounds a lot like your daughter and we're about to lose SSI. Well, we were both crying and I took that lady and I pushed her back by her shoulders and said I can help you with that. So that was my aha moment, the one father, jude, at Christina's celebration of life that my family owes their heart to. He just said Josephine, if you'll listen, our heavenly father will tell you what your next journey will be. And that's where it started. And from then on it was just as if things just kept happening like they were supposed to. Just, you know the foundation itself.

Josephine: 5:22

My son took a gap year because he had fallen apart. He was everything to Nina and he came home to be with us and we were given away one of her wheelchairs and putting it in the car. And then, all of a sudden, the lady that had helped us for years, she goes, sissy, look up and when there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and then all of a sudden there's this beautiful arrangement of clouds that is actually the symbol of Christina's foundation today and that was giving away one of her wheelchairs. And then Christian had some photographs in an art walk in Galveston and a gentleman came up to us that was there with a friend and I didn't know him and I'm showing him the cloud in the sky and what we'd love to be able to do to help people and he goes. Well, I can do that for you. I'm an attorney, we can do that pro bono and create a 501C3 for you. So I'm in the middle of this art gallery, crying, knowing that it's Nina again and the papers were drawn and we go in and, lo and behold, there's a CPA there that said oh, you know, my husband loves what you do and would like to talk to y'all.

Josephine: 6:43

Happened to be Dr Brent Maisel, who was 30 years, ceo of the Transitional Learning Center. So for brain injury, come on, sandy. So we go and talk to him and we started doing live care plans for people who had come to Galveston to seek that rehabilitation and then, when they would go off, we had multiple computers that were a gift from a family that we would actually do research on and find all the things that any family would need wherever they were in the country. And that's how that started. But yeah, just the journey just kept going, on and on and on. And here we are today Over 247 athletes just this fall and those are children with different abilities, children, youth and adults and it's been an incredible journey with challenges. Of course, if you don't have the challenges, you cannot appreciate and love your blessings that are given Right.

Sandy: 7:50

But we're here today and we're moving right along and you're doing incredible work. I wanted to back up just a bit. Tell everybody who is not familiar, who may not be familiar with your foundation about the cloud, what it looked like.

Josephine: 8:06

The cloud was absolutely incredible. It had like two wings and just the facial feature itself. My son took it and he created on his tablet the most simplistic, beautiful image of the cloud formation that looked like an angel and wasn't an angel. It was Nina and it was incredible to see it. And people calling in and friends of mine and saying, did you see that? Did you see that? And people took pictures of it and were sending it to me. But he did. He's the one, through his love, created that image. And then I could go on the, I think the six months that were so hard for us as a family. And still today grief doesn't go away. It's there and that's just because you love your loved one so much. But he took experiences. We had at least six of them.

Josephine: 9:16

Christina went everywhere. We took her everywhere, it didn't matter Grocery store, football games, movies, I mean, she was a go girl, she loved to go, yeah. So we got Christian out of his room because he was to graduate that December from college and said come on, your sister doesn't want this, let's just go to your football game. So we went and it would be where Christina would be in the handicap section, on the end, in the end zones, and here comes this yellow butterfly, solid yellow, with black rim around it, and it lands on the railing where Nina's chair would have been sitting in front of. And then, yeah, and then we thought, okay, that's so beautiful, and you know, we both all look, we all looked at each other and we thought that was just something very pretty. But two weeks later, when we go back for the second football game to get Christian out, it came again. And then we knew, and then we all started crying and that was her way of telling us that. You know she was, she was okay.

Josephine: 10:20

And even though you know our hearts were just broken. It's hard not to hold your loved one, but she, you know, she appeared a couple of more times when it was just really hard. And that's how I knew I was running on the seawall and I was trying to anyway. But I hadn't been sleeping and Christian and Craig were in front of me and I just texted him and said I just can't do it, you know, I'm just gonna go back to the car. And so I went and sat down in front of the car and I'm at the end of the seawall and I'm yelling at our Heavenly Father saying just take me right now. I have to see her, I have to see her. And about that time, after I was having that conversation with our Heavenly Father, here comes my son running towards me mom, are you okay? And then he picks me up and about that time, on the side of the car comes the yellow butterfly with the black rim around it.

Josephine: 11:32

So I knew then that I was here for a reason right and and she was telling me again she was fine, she was okay. And I'm telling you, sandy, if I hadn't had those happenings, for our Heavenly Father to let her come through the veil like he does for others. You know, I've given, I've given speeches before about the foundation and I tell about this segment and I have grown people crying in the in the audience and they'll come up to me afterwards and they'll say my loved one came, it was a blue dragonfly and they landed on my shoulder and then it came and it was there for so long and then ladybugs and red cardinals, and so I know in my heart that I know Nina was just telling me mom, really, I'm okay, right, and I know she was whole. You know, I know that she was running and jumping into the arms of our Heavenly Father and we wouldn't be here today if we didn't have our faith.

Josephine: 12:33

There have been times when you know you just you sit and think, but I never question what our Heavenly Father has asked us to do for his will. This is his purpose. We're just his instruments, you know, fulfilling his plan right. So that's what keeps us going. The last time that we saw Nina, craig was going to Austin and he was traveling to the health and human resources and was asked to attend a meeting. And then, you know, they just all of a sudden changed their mind and the gentleman wouldn't come out. He wouldn't say why and he was distraught when he called and I said please don't come home. Just, you know, stay and you know start out in the morning. And he goes no, I'm gonna go grab a cup of coffee at McDonald's and I'll be right. You know, I'll be home. Give me about five hours, five and a half. And I said okay. And so I started crying with Christina and I said please watch your daddy, please watch your daddy. And he called, yelling and screaming and crying and taking pictures showing us that there was a yellow butterfly with black rim inside the car on the passenger side window. So, wow, that was the last time she came, but she took care of her daddy and he made it home.

Josephine: 14:00

And from.

Josephine: 14:02

You know, from that point on it's just been people have just been put into the foundations life. And we just cannot even imagine being where we are today, in this short period of time that it's been open to be, where we are helping so many families and we're partnered with the University of Texas Medical Branch, with their students, their future medical professionals. And you know, when I think about it, sandy, after we had all these appointments which you know I lovingly, when I see faces of family members that come to our programs, my hearts there with them, because I know what they're going through, you know. So they're a little bit of joy that they get from these programs when they come it just means the world. But those experiences when doctors would tell us that Christina had no worth, you know, in that she was a vegetable, whatever that meant to a 23 year old at the time, you know I didn't understand that, but you know you should put her in a home and get on with your life. You know how do you do that. I mean, that's my child.

Sandy: 15:15

I can't believe.

Josephine: 15:16

They told you that oh, and you know, and that's what Craig and I we talk about it we go. Do you understand what we're doing? We're educating the future medical professionals, not to for them to have compassion and empathy and and to understand. This child belongs to those two people over there, or that one mom struggling by herself as a single mother. You know they, they belong to a family and to to have been treated like that. Well, now, going on 42 years that she's been and gone. Well, she was born. We know it. We know it. So I I know that this is the journey, that part of the journey that he's asked us to be on, because Dr Far has been an incredible mentor from UTMB. Dr Brown, just just the people that have been placed in our lives to be able to do this is just incredible.

Sandy: 16:13

I love that you have that piece with the, the students from UTMB. You know our. My son is 21 he's not that old and when he was first born we lived in Ohio and I started a support group for moms who had kids with disabilities because I didn't want to be alone. I remember when I was pregnant with him and we found out he was going to have Down syndrome, which isn't very complicated, right the doctor looked at us and he said what are you going to do about this pregnancy? And I had. You know, we had four other children at the time. We were shocked and I said what do you mean? And he said you only have a week and a half to make up your mind whether you're going to abort. And we said absolutely not. This is our child, he said. He stared at us.

Sandy: 17:02

Here's the thing we were supposed to be in a meeting with five specialists to guide and direct our the rest of my pregnancy path and the plan for birth, because one in 10 children I forget what the statistics are, but I think it's one in 10 children survive birth. He was the only man at the meeting. Nobody else showed up and so he looked at us and he said I'm of the mind. Life without intelligence is no life at all. Oh my gosh, I was stunned. That's just so. I'm not a comforting thing to say to anybody. I was so angry, if anything, that stirred us on more. Oh, you just wait and see, you know. But it's so comforting to know, because some of those moms that were in that support group had more horrific experiences than I did. One mother, the doctor, yelled at her and said who do you think you are, mother Teresa? This child's going to ruin your life Like no, statements are something you don't ever forget.

Josephine: 18:00

No, no, ma'am.

Sandy: 18:03

So I'm so excited and all of those students that you work with are just amazing individuals.

Josephine: 18:11

They're just, and that's what you want to see. You know, that's what you want them to develop that sense of there are people in the world who are of differing abilities and I'm going to experience that in my life as a future medical professional. Right, the thing that Dr Farr has done as well. He introduced us to the university, the UT Health System Dentistry in Houston, and three of the colleagues came out to account possibilities in Galveston and Dr David Frey. He just looked at me and with tears in his eyes and he says look at the bond of trust it goes, look at what you have created. I want this for my dental students. When can we start?

Josephine: 19:06

So Al Craig and I sit on the advisory board and a committee that actually will. They'll actually be at this fascinating event that we're going to have this Saturday. I can't wait to tell you about. But they help children with IDD to understand the process and it's not a sterile, it's so comforting. Even as an adult I would love it, but the way they are approaching it is just going to be incredible. They have so many other professionals in the area that are on this committee and about 22, and that to be a part of that is just that's another guided sign for Craig and I.

Sandy: 19:59

Amazing. Yet dentistry for our kids is really, really challenging, and I mean, I see some individuals with differing abilities who wear braces and I think, whoa, that's hard for a typically developing child. Who did they find that was able to do that process with them? So it's a long process too. So this is a real exciting thing. I'm excited to hear more about that. I do want to back up a little bit with another question I had for you. How did you go from initially doing life plans to now doing adaptive and inclusive sports?

Josephine: 20:33

That is a very, very interesting question. We were coming out of St Mary's Cathedral in Galveston from Mass and a friend I went to school with my sister Grace, approached us and he said, can I do a tennis tournament for your foundation? And I said, well, that is so kind, it's Coach Marino. And I said, well, yeah, thank you. And so our minds start working and we're talking and thinking and I went and looked up tennis on USTA United States Tennis Association and there, lo and behold, was adaptive tennis and adaptive tennis.

Josephine: 21:28

From that got in touch with the representative from Houston for USTA and she introduced me to Dr Michael Cottingham, the U of H, university of Houston, wheelchair tennis, ok. And they came and did an expo at the tournament and they brought extra wheelchairs they were wheelchair athletes so that people from the crowd could come down and see the athleticism it really took for them to play tennis. The only difference is that the ball gets to bounce twice. And then we, and then I, contacted Special Olympics and two beautiful young ladies that had just come from China promoting Special Olympics, who were very introverted. They weren't then and it doesn't so much for them Explain to the crowd how much Special Olympics meant to them and adaptive tennis. So then I applied and they came out to do the expo and since then I've sat on the committee for adaptive and wheelchair tennis for USTA. Ok, and that's how we started that program. And then on and on it just kept growing to other sports, adaptive sports, yeah.

Sandy: 22:54

So that leads me to my next question. So tell us more about the Christina Sullivan Foundation. What services, I guess what sports do you offer to all of the individuals who are part of it?

Josephine: 23:04

Well, actually the Christina Sullivan Foundation assists children and adults with intellectual and physical challenges, all different abilities, and we assist them through programs and activities. And when I think about it, yes, we do have adaptive sports, but we've also have the teaching kitchen, which actually assists in the MyPlate version from the government that we follow and we help them to understand, to shop, prep, cook and serve. Families go out and they're in the grocery store with their loved ones and they're taking things off the shelf and taking pictures, and then they come home and they prep and they're taking pictures and then they're cooking and then they're serving and then we share those and that's nutrition. Our children, for our adults, our children Nutrition and healthy choices is very important. And then we have, of course, choir, adaptive eSports. We have capstone students and a capstone student spends 14 weeks with the foundation and they come to develop other programs and curriculum that we're interested in actually having for our athletes of different abilities.

Josephine: 24:26

One was for eSports adaptive inclusive eSports, that's gaming, and one young man had 245 voluntary hours from Ball High and we had an athlete that had no arms. He played tennis with his foot. He was amazing and that smile was I will never. I will never not see that smile. He goes Ms Sullivan, can I please make a device that he could play with us at the big tournament that we're going to have? And I said, well, sure, let's show me what you got. And he went online, did a 3D printer, had an adaptive controller that fit over the controller that he could use and manipulate with his feet.

Josephine: 25:14

At 25 years old, it was the first time this young man had ever played a game with Anthony Canton's Arrow and there wasn't a dry eye in the house. In fact, at the time, microsoft had partnered with us and still partnered with us and had given some equipment that they were calling their people and taking pictures and saying, look at this, because they were actually using one of the controllers, that he was actually breaking with one of the controllers from what they had given to the foundation. So between that and oh my gosh, I'm trying to think of all of them that we have. We have Nina's Choir of Angels, bacchi Ball, volleyball, we're going to have chess for the first time, adaptive chess and actually one of our athletes is going to be teaching that he is very proficient in chess and he wants to share that, and there's just so much more. I'm trying to at this moment they all tell me about.

Sandy: 26:18

It's all on your website. Yeah, it is. It is Well. Tell us about Nina's Choir of Angels.

Josephine: 26:23

Nina's choir of angels started when Dr Far there is again our mentor asked us to assist in a. It's called Christmas share your Christmas and it's with the Shriners group for the burn children, and this last we've been with them. This will be their third annual. In fact, I wrote an email yesterday explaining how we were going to be a part of it and how, all of a sudden now we have 35 athletes that are going to start Learning Christmas songs mid-October. For this event we actually go and we sing for the families of the burn children and an incredible gathering of vendors will come and Like give socks we did. We donated over 200 pairs of socks last year and they come and they bring things that you know it's like going Christmas, you know having Christmas gifts given.

Josephine: 27:20

Right right, you bring our e-sports and and we do have board games and lots of volunteers that come as well. So it's, it's just joy.

Josephine: 27:28

Yeah and from that, oh my gosh, from that it's music and medicine, and they had like cello and violin and things of that nature. And one of the young ladies last year came up and she goes miss Sullivan, can I do acquire with your students, to your, your participants, and I said, oh, that would be amazing. And she came back to me, she goes. And here's dr Fargan, he goes. He gave the okay for them to come and now it's offered its music and art camp possibilities. So we're so looking forward to that pilot program in January.

Sandy: 28:06

Yes, music and art, I love it. Yeah, I think I signed up my son for that one just because I want to be a part of that too. So what is your greatest joy? I already know, but what is your greatest joy in doing the work that you do?

Josephine: 28:20

I've seen, seen happiness, being able to be there when a mom or dad or someone is crying, listening, being a good listener, the joy of Having the support of the families that you know, assist and do everything that they possibly can. But it's, it's that joy I see Nina's face and every, every athlete that comes through the door, that, every athlete or family that participates it keeps us going.

Sandy: 28:57

Tell us about the end of every athletic event, what all of the athletes do, because I love this.

Josephine: 29:03

Okay, I don't know what possessed me when we first started this and it was the very first tennis, adaptive tennis program and there was just some way I wanted to say thank you to Christina and I wanted them to know her. You know, I wanted them to know that. You know she's watching over them always and On we get everybody gathered together. So there's just this big. It was like, oh my gosh, I would say 75 to 80 people, because we have, besides, the UTMB Students and and the athletes and their families and the faculty On one, two, three, we all yell Nina Nina is the nickname that her brother, christian, gave her from Christina. So that is, and I, and now the, the athletes, they absolutely they look forward and they love it. And you know, you know I, I talked to Nina today, or I know Nina's watching over me today.

Sandy: 30:02

And they all throw tennis balls at the same time at the photographer, usually at you and Craig.

Josephine: 30:08

Yes, blesses. Yeah, it's usually tennis balls. When Bachi came around and everybody wanted to throw those, we asked them to please roll them. So yeah, it depends on the sport. Absolutely yeah that's awesome.

Sandy: 30:24

I love that. It's a great way to wrap it up and, like you said, it's a Really amazing way to keep that connection going for the, the athlete, so they understand the whole reason behind everything that they're doing when they come to participate in something at your foundation. I was gonna ask you next about sharing a success story, but before we get to that, can you tell us about the event that's coming up on Saturday, because it's amazing.

Josephine: 30:49

Absolutely. Thank you for letting me share that it's. It's. That was that's another story too. We were on the grounds looking for a venue to have some land sports that we, that we actually are in, and the general manager came down of activities and said well, you know, we do water, adaptive water Sports festival. Would you like to partner? This is Moody Gardens and you know everybody had to contain themselves and so we partner with them. And on this Saturday, september the 30th, from 9 am To 3 pm, is it? It's for an athlete of different abilities, doesn't matter, and four members of their family, and it's free.

Josephine: 31:35

You can come in, enjoy Palm Beach and the old Deanne Drabal where the land Activities will be adaptive activities. We have Pickleball. The greater Houston pickleball will be there teaching pickleball, and so will the pickleball Mascot. He'll be there as well. But we're gonna have the University of Houston will chair tennis. They're going to be there with youth and adult will chair tennis and and a ambulatory tennis, standing tennis. We're going to have beat baseball for the blind and visually impaired oh, sandy, it's amazing to watch these athletes and We'll have archery.

Josephine: 32:26

That is, the Texas Parks and Wildlife will have one section of archery and another section, cody Dunn, will have archery, adaptive archery and then we're going to have para air rifle shooting and that's ball. High school in Galveston, rotc. We're so happy but to have them. And then you're going to have Adaptive aquatics for skiing, c-star base for sailing, fishing with fishing futures, with Terry Smith, kayaking with Texas Sea camp.

Josephine: 33:04

I mean just, it's all free and we just want People to come in and enjoy them and try them, because you don't know, you know you may find a sport that you may love and you know, anything has been official stress reliever, getting out in the sunshine with vitamin D. But you know, it's, it's, it's there, it's, it's there. The mayor is going to be there. He is so gracious, mayor Craig Brown and his lovely wife Angela, and I Think it's just going to be an incredible. We can't thank Robert Cowley's and, of course, the general manager of Moody Gardens, mr Johnson, for the opportunity for us to be able to bring these this, this awareness, right of hope and inclusion. That's. That's really what it's all about. Yeah.

Sandy: 33:58

Hope and inclusion. You know, and I've told this story, I think, a few times on the podcast, when talking to other moms and they bring up your foundation. I had seen on Facebook for a long time a lot of the my friends who have their children that were attending adaptive tennis and I kept thinking, oh, how nice, it must be so fun to be able to do that. You know, and I think at one point I must have voiced it to one of the mothers and she said well, sign, just sign up. And I just laughed and I said, oh, no, no, no, they're not ready for him. And she's Whoever it was, it was one of the GH feds. Mom said you know, this is adaptive tennis, right, like they will meet him where he's at. And so I was like, oh, with much trepidation, okay, we'll try, because I'm always willing to try everything, because, like you said, you never know what is going to be Something that clicks, that they really enjoy doing. So we took them.

Sandy: 34:52

I didn't hold out a lot of hope In secretly to myself, but you guys were amazing. I mean, I think the individual that was assigned to him right away Just had an immediate connection. Josiah felt that and he felt so welcomed. Craig came over and was like actually playing with him. You've always done that too Just really interacted. You make everybody feel like we're the only ones there. Even though the tennis courts are packed with hundreds of people, it feels like because of all the parents and the students. You guys just always make everybody feel like you're there for them, and there are times when Josiah is not all about the sport, but Everybody there makes each of the individuals feel like we're here for you and we want you to have a great time.

Sandy: 35:35

So I can't thank you guys enough. I've signed him up for almost everything practically now that I think he might enjoy. No, it might be a battle, but over time he's going to come to love it, I think, as much as all of the other individuals do to the athletes and the Students and all the volunteers, and you guys are just, I don't know world-class. It's just amazing. I wish everybody could have the opportunity to participate. Thank you so much. Ok, so anyway, thank you for making us feel like we fit, because sometimes I don't feel like we do. You know I do. Oh, wow. Anyway, pull up back together, ok, so can you share an example of a success story with us like a time when your intervention really made a positive difference.

Josephine: 36:20

An intervention that made a positive. I don't know which one to even start with. I'm sure there's many. I'm looking over at Craig he goes. There's so many.

Josephine: 36:34

One mom whose daughter really it was her diagnosis that did not allow her to be with others, and I was approached by Dr Frioni, who is amazing at UTMB, and Susie Garrick. Dr Garrick and asked if we would just could we try and see if this is something that she could do, because behavior-wise it was just something that you know in her diagnosis she couldn't do, and told me all the things to be aware of and of course they have to fill out an athlete profile and that was something that the foundation came up with to understand the diagnoses and what to do and what not to do and how to handle situations. Well, we were waiting for the worst to happen. We were prepared for that.

Josephine: 37:31

That young lady came in with her buddy it was a teaching kitchen and I can still see it in my mind and her mom crying out in the area because we had them in the little kitchen part, because she had taken to her buddy and she was actually chopping with the knife and she was blending with the mixing bowl and the mixer had the most beautiful smile, so that to us was look, and she was around all the other athletes and buddies in the kitchen, so that in itself was just. That was incredible To be able to be a part of that, and they came and have been coming to ever since.

Sandy: 38:23

Incredible. So her diagnosis kind of prohibited that type of activity. But you guys just provide such a loving, amazing experience.

Josephine: 38:34

I think it was the parents, one last hope. And then at the bowling because of course we do adapt to bowling too she had her entourage, a family behind her, yelling and screaming and cheering her on, which was really quite exciting. So I didn't know that they knew that the foundation had made that change, that loving change. I think that's what keeps us going, Sandy, yeah.

Sandy: 39:01

Oh yeah, we're so blessed to live in this area because I feel like there's so much available to our individuals that have differing needs. But what advice do you have for parents in regards to seeking adaptive exercise for their child, who maybe don't live near us and are excited to learn that these are options available to them? They might have to seek them out. Are there other things like this in other states that you're aware of?

Josephine: 39:27

Not that I'm aware of, but I think the school district can help quite a bit to guide them and to have things on your website say contact us, because of 4.45 this morning. I received last night and I said I'm getting up and I'm going to answer this mom. It came in on contact us. So if they have that anywhere, go to the school district first. Please let them help you. But I answered her she's here at Shriners Hospital for intensive PTOT and speech. She goes, but my daughter's finished at 1 o'clock. What activities are available here on Galveston Island? And I told her about Bacchi just now starting and of course, the event on Saturday.

Josephine: 40:19

So I think it's that part of technology I absolutely love. We can go, seek it Back in the day. That was the daunting part was you go and you find. But this way parents have that opportunity. I would so start with my school district and ask them to please give some kind of guidance and then PDA things of that nature look up adaptive programs in my area. I think the world is coming to love and accept. We have a long way to go and we're getting there, but we've got our foot in the door and we're not taking it out.

Sandy: 41:10

I imagine it isn't inexpensive to run this type of foundation. How can the community best support you guys with the amazing work that you do?

Josephine: 41:21

That I appreciate. All our programs are at no cost and free of charge because we have been there and done that and we know we have, up until the end of the year, a fundraiser and we're trying to raise the funds for the athletes to be able to come to the programs for no cost. So actually just go to our website and we'll put the link in that voice in the background ChristinaSalvinfoundationcom and it'll say how to donate. And it's to give Andorg, did I saycom? Ok, yeah, yeahorg.

Sandy: 42:08

Yeah, I mean that's just amazing, that the level of the quality of what you provide for the athletes is just amazing. But the fact that it's all free of charge to families and talk about the students, because these are students from UTMB that are volunteering their time the amount of time that is volunteered on their part, yes, and I will tell you this.

Josephine: 42:34

Yes, it is a volunteer type program right now, but they have embraced this program to where we have three five-year contracts with the School of Medicine, the School of Nursing and the School of Health Professions and we have a two-year contract with Capstone students who do their dissertations and projects. We are now collecting data and analysis and we hope that within a year that this will be an accredited program for the students to have credit hours, because we have evolved the program. We have parents cornered let's talk about it and the students are bringing in resources for families. We have six major topics and then we have, of course, the adaptive sport.

Josephine: 43:29

We have motor moves that are monocomuscle. She doesn't know about monocomuscle. She's telling you and teaching you about all the muscles and, in motor moves, fitbits and keeping them healthy. And then we have let us talk nutrition, head of let us, with eyes that make you smile and teaching them nutrition. So, with the UTMB students being a part of all the aspects of the program, we're working on that and I am prayerful within a year that it could actually be. We've gone through the process, we know what it takes, we have UTMB faculty assisting and that's what we're working towards.

Sandy: 44:13

Yeah, that's phenomenal that they can get credit for all that they do with this. That's just beautiful. I love it. Yeah, we're working on. I'm sure it's a lengthy process, but that's awesome. What's the best way for someone to get in touch with you if they wanted to, you know, find out more or volunteer to help if there's something that somebody's interested in doing?

Josephine: 44:35

Info at Christina Sullivan Foundationorg. Okay. That's how that mom did it and I'm sure I'm going to see her on Tuesday. Yeah, I'm pretty sure she's going to be there with her daughter, which would be great.

Sandy: 44:50

Yes. One last thing, because it's right behind you. I want you to talk to us about what you have in your new office.

Josephine: 44:58

Okay, Well, it's called Nina's Cafe and that was Christina's headboard and I just couldn't part with it because on the sides there's three shelves on one side and three on the other. We would have her suction machine, feeding machine, all kinds of machines and diapers and chucks and G2 materials and things of that nature, but now it holds cookie jars and books and we turned it into a little coffee bar and put a refrigerator in it and it's just part of her that all of our volunteers and athletes can enjoy. I love it.

Sandy: 45:44

It's beautiful. I will put a picture of that up too, because that's so cute. That was such an ingenious idea to take something that was a part of her everyday life and incorporate it into what you're in she's continuing to do now. Amazing, just beautiful. Well, it has been such a pleasure to have you on. I think that what you and Craig are doing is phenomenal. The gift that you're giving and Nina and Christian, the gift that you're giving this community and it's not just the Galveston community, it's spreading through so many areas is just unsurpassed. You give so many and it's in your mission statement. You give so many of us hope, and that's beautiful. Thank you so much for being here and for continuing to do what you do. I'm excited to see all that the Christina Sennlund Foundation has going forward, because I know it's going to continue to grow and just get even more amazing. Thank you for you.

Sandy: 46:41

Yeah we love you guys. Thank you so much Love you. Thank you. Thanks for listening to the Embrace the Blessing podcast. Visit embracetheblessingcom slash podcast for show notes and links to any resources mentioned. If this has been beneficial to you, please share it with a friend or post it on your social media pages. Join me next Wednesday for more inspiring stories from people just like you.