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ABOUT KEVIN AND HIS LOVE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT/FIRST RESPONDERS

Q. When and how did Kevin get so interested in First Responders?

A. 1. Kevin did not have the ability to observe anything other than his view as he played on the floor, leaned against, or sat in a chair/sofa for the first 3 years.
 

2. When the passing sounds of sirens occurred, the family often offered a possible purpose for the first responder's passing by. Whether it was medical assistance, rushing to a fire or a motor vehicle accident, it was an emergency.

That momentary excitement of sound removed him from his mundane world of non-ambulation. Those sounds became synonymous with good people helping others. It generated excitement and a chance to go into another world, one that required his development of an incredible gift, imagination. Likely, the basis for writing the dozens of stories after choosing a picture as the story's basis.

Ambulation

During the 1st year, as parents, we noticed that Kevin was not able to roll over or move as we considered normal. The first several doctor visits resulted in a “slow development” diagnosis. His legs increasingly became rigid in a scissored position. Kevin was 18 months when the proper Doctor instantly diagnosed Kevin with cerebral palsy.
 

Multiple surgeries including 6 months in a full-body cast followed, while accompanied by attending Vermont Achievement Center (Easter Seals) for 3 school years, some 100 miles away. Living with a foster family enabled his attendance and daily access to physical and occupational therapy.
 

At age 6, Kevin was able to stand with a walker and began walking at age 8. The Elks Hospital in Umatilla, FL was the source of more surgeries after we moved from Vermont to Leesburg in 1979. One surgery was canceled due to miraculous physical healing as a result of attending a healing service in Daytona.

Housing

Kevin lived with our family until his early twenties. He would often make the statement that we lived boring lives. Our Monday through Friday evenings were typically spent regenerating as we cared for seniors in our assisted living facilities.

Eventually, we agreed that Kevin's quality of life might be improved if he were to live in a group home that provided more community inclusion. However, his verbal skills exceeded most of the other residents. After multiple changes, he moved back to Vermont to live with a relative and then onto an operating dairy farm. After 2 years, circumstances resulted in his moving back to Florida and into Bishop Grady Villas (assisted living for the developmentally disabled) in St Cloud, Fl. Again, the communication issue arose and Kevin was moved into a senior independent living complex in Lady Lake, FL. However, the superb services eventually resulted in Kevin receiving all his meals in his apartment while his continued capacity to walk decreased to use of the wheelchair.

To summarize the 20+ years of housing: Our society has placed a person's “Rights” without any “Responsibility”, to include any and all individuals that cannot make good decisions even when they have legally been declared incompetent. To not exercise, to not maintaining personal hygiene, or eating nonhealthy foods become “Rights” without the caregiver's ability to enforce any consequences.

His brother and legal guardian, Mando requested we agree to Kevin come home to live in the studio unit adjacent to his house. With some concerns on our part, Mando stated: “Dad, Kevin's my brother, it could be me." Kevin moved into Kevin's Cottage on November 1st 2016 and went to his permanent home on November 1st 2021.

Kevin in a motorized scooter
Kevin with Walker
Eric, Kevin and Henri Couture
LCSO-Deputy Visit4.jpg

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