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We help foster faith-based stewardship in the community for the spiritual, educational and charitable needs of all. Without warning, Peter began losing his eyesight at age six. His mom, Beth, took him to numerous doctors and a geneticist before the mystery was unraveled. Peter had Batten disease, a neurological and progressive disease affecting about 3 of every 100,000 children in the U.S.
Absorbing difficult news, Beth and her husband began doing research and learning from experts and other families – all while welcoming a new baby, Jacob. “We quickly decided to choose joy. We weren’t going to let his diagnosis take away from the moments we had with Peter.”
With a supportive family and the Loudonville community, Peter can focus on his abilities rather than anxiety for the future. But it’s a challenge. That’s why his parents came to Catholic Charities for respite and support services. “Miss Stephanie” visits their home once a week for two-hour visits. Stephanie is a mom herself, with an adult child and a grandchild with special needs.
Beth is delighted by the creative activities and loving attention Stephanie devotes entirely to nine-year-old Peter. “For those two hours, he is engaged and loved on. We can have one-on-one time with our other son or get the cleaning done or dinner made. Peter is a great kid, but he requires nearly constant supervision. It’s a respite for us, so we’re thankful for that. Stephanie accepts his blindness and is comfortable with it.”
For Peter’s family, respite care gives them another way to choose joy. “We’re blessed by the way Catholic Charities lives out their faith. It helps our family life and our mental health. Whether donors invest $20 or $2,000, they show the love of Christ to people who feel forgotten or unseen and unheard.”