Calling Horizon Home - Gary & Lisa

This quarter, we celebrated Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month during the month of March. Over thirty minutes of ‘thank-you’s and appreciation messages from more than 20 client family members flooded our voicemail with heartfelt messages to our Horizon ICF staff, recognizing their impactful service and the thoughtful care provided to their loved ones.

Horizon Board Member, Gary Marple, shared with WSLS 10 news how grateful he is for Horizon and the care being provided to his daughter, Lisa.

Lisa, age 53, was told she would not live past her teenage years when she was diagnosed with a nervous system disorder at age 9. Gary said before that, she used to walk, run, and even had a 300–400-word vocabulary. Today, Gary shares that even though Lisa is non-verbal with limited mobility “she is doing well and thriving.”

Gary credits her good health to the fact that “she is getting good nutrition and the nursing care is well done.”

Gary explained how difficult it can be to find quality care for individuals with disabilities, such as a dentist or physician for example, who can provide care to a non-verbal client. 

Horizon ensures that these barriers are no longer a challenge by offering 24-hour specialty care at the Horizon Intermediate Care Facilities (ICF). Currently, Horizon can provide this level of care to 42 individuals at a time, meeting a major need in our community. 

"As parents, we are pleased to know that we can see her and know she is taken care of in ways that we no longer can, physically. Horizon really came through for her.”