Willowbrook
Posted on July 3, 2008
by Marilyn Parchus, Finance Manager
I was very curious about this place called Willowbrook State School and its place in the history of New York State. Some of CDR’s consumers lived at this state operated institution for children that were labeled as mentally-retarded or having developmental disabilities. I often wondered how the children got there and why? I decided to do some research on the subject.
The construction of Willowbrook State School was started in 1938, on a site of 375 acres on a section of Staten Island. Yes, right in the heart of New York, New York. It must have seemed to be such a noble concept at the time. We Americans pride ourselves in taking care of our own. And at that time, taking care of our own came to mean putting children with developmental disabilities into institutions. Read more
Filed Under Abuse, Institutions and Institutionalization, Marilyn Parchus | 3 Comments
Be an Educated Voter
Posted on June 20, 2008
by Marilyn Parchus, Finance Manager
I recently saw a movie called the The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, a memoir by Jean- Dominique Baudby. The film depicts Baudby’s life after having a massive stroke at the age of 43, which left him with a condition known as locked-in syndrome. The condition paralyzed him, with the exception of his left eyelid, so that he could only communicate by blinking.
The film is initially told entirely from the point of view of Baudby, as he wakes from his three-week coma in a hospital in Berck, France. A neurologist explains that he has locked-in syndrome, an extremely rare condition in which the patient is almost completely physically paralyzed, but remains fully mentally alert. The viewer hears the thoughts of Baudby, which are unattainable to the other characters, and sees through his one functioning eye.
The film made me think of how we in America do not personally connect with people with disabilities. Read more
Filed Under Marilyn Parchus, Voting | 1 Comment