2011

Steven is 26 years old now.

This year brought some significant chances. Steven moved from our house to a new home!

For quite some time we were looking for a suitable form of dwelling for Steven. Last march we were lucky and found something that looked good to us and is only 5 km away from our home. He has a room for himself at a first floor flat with 4 inhabitants, who are being taken care of by nurses. The nurses generally work at the ground floor, where the rooms of a familie relieving service are located. So he spends most of his time at the ground floor, where all the people meet during day. From monday to friday Steven still attends a sheltered workshop and will be picked up in the morning by a bus and brought back in the afternoon.

Steven seems to like it, which makes it a bit easier for us to let him go.

To let go is never easy for parents and even harder when the child or better, the young adult, is handicapped. As any other young adult they have the right to live a live of their own as much as possible. For us this was the hardest decision to make. But sooner or later it had to be done. When you wait until none of the parents is able to take care for the child anymore, you don`t have the chance to pick the best for your child. It then most probably will end up with the child beeing assigned to a nursing home by the authorities. And that is what we didn`t want to happen at all to Steven someday.

 

Steven visiting his parents and plays in his "old" room

This picture, the one all the way up the page and those at the "home" were taken by Bärbel Lenzschau

http://www.baerbellenzschau.de

At Christmas Eve

 

 

 

 

 

 

     

 

 
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