Reprinted from the May, 2008 Ft. Bend ARC Newsletter with Permission from Melissa Mahoney
A Smile to Brighten the Day
Melissa Mahoney
I am very fortunate in that The Arc of Fort Bend County presents opportunities for me to meet the individuals that we serve. I recently heard about Abby VanDuivendyk, one of our members, and the successes she has recently experienced. I then had the privilege of meeting Abby and her mother, Darlene. They came to The Arc office to share information and photos.
Upon meeting Abby, the one thing I noticed first was her smile. She looked directly at me and just smiled. Her face lit up and I could tell she was excited and a little scared, but I could also tell she wasn’t going to let that bother her in the least. Her mom was with her. We all introduced ourselves and sat down together at the conference table. I was excited to see that they’d brought a photo album with lots of photos that depicted all of Abby’s activities. I was hoping I could find some to include with my story. They will follow below. Next we talked about everything that Abby has been doing and what her plans are for the future. I’ll share some with you.
Abby’s father, Tim VanDuivendyk, and mother, Darlene Clark, both support and are involved with Abby and her activities. She has 9 siblings (even some by marriage), 4 nieces and a nephew that she loves to stay involved with. One of her personal “bests” recently was that she was a bridesmaid in her brother’s wedding.
Abby has Down Syndrome, but that hasn’t hindered her accomplishments. Abby volunteers at The Wellness Center, which is part of Memorial Hermann Healthcare System. She absolutely loves volunteering. Some of her duties include, but are not limited to, making copies, filing, assisting at the front desk greeting visitors, towel folding, and being a “floater” on the fitness floor. Abby enjoys working to earn her “free meal ticket” on the days she volunteers. Abby is committed to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
She enjoys Pilates twice weekly with her personal trainer, Darrin Bruhn, the “Pilates Man” at The Wellness Center. This helps her to stay focused on her exercise plan and overall health. She has served on the Board of Trustees at Goodwill Industries for approximately five years.
She’s been invited by the Sugar Land Barnes & Noble to read at their Children’s Story Times. The CEO of Barnes & Noble, Steve Riggio, instituted an annual Down Syndrome Recognition Day for all Barnes & Noble stores. His personal interest stems from his daughter, Melissa Riggio, who was born with Down Syndrome. During the February 2007 event, Abby read the book, We’ll Paint the Octopus Red. Curious George was read during the February 2008 event. In June 2007, Abby read with Allison Seward, Miss Bayou City’s Outstanding Teen 2007. Abby thoroughly enjoys reading to the children and working with them on crafts after the readings.
In addition, Abby has another real important role. She and her mother team up to give Employment Assessment presentations. In October 2007, they presented at The University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Her mom, Darlene Clark, is a board member of the Robert S. Hartman Institute and uses the Hartman Value Profile (HVP) in her consulting business. The HVP is an instrument used to measure a person’s judgment capacity and the unique strengths that they bring to the job. They also have a HVP Pictorial Form which is exactly like the written HVP except it combines pictures with the printed words. Abby demonstrates the process of taking the profile during their presentation, talks about what she is doing, and shares what she learned about herself. She also sang at the end of the Tennessee presentation. She received a standing ovation, the first in the Institute’s 30 years. Darlene commented that audience members said “Abby was the highlight of the meeting” and that she had touched a lot of hearts that day. Abby and her mother hope to continue to further their efforts in promoting the benefits of their presentation entitled, “Using the HVP Pictorial Form to Level the Employment Field for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.” Their main goal is raising awareness and promoting actualization of leveling the employment field for people with disabilities.
Abby and her mother were invited to New Danville, a self-sustaining, master-planned community designed for high-functioning mentally-challenged adults. New Danville is located on 42 acres near Willis, Texas in Montgomery County. They presented and administered the HVP Pictorial Form to clients while conducting a “train the trainer” session for the staff.
The future holds many more successes for Abby. Of that, I am sure. Her strength of character and her caring, compassionate side will serve her well in moving forward toward the goals she has set and has still yet to discover. She brings something into the mix that can take you by surprise. Her mom, Darlene, said it just right, “Abby’s presence is calming…she enjoys being in front of people more than I do. She is a natural.” She then looked at Abby and said, “You know, I am who I am because of you.” Abby flashed her, her best ear-to-ear grin. Darlene continued, “Abby’s smile brightens my day. She is spreading sunshine with her smile. Abby has a special gift of being able to accept and love everyone as unique individuals. Helping other people and adding a bit of sunshine to their lives brings Abby personal satisfaction. These intrinsic strengths are genuine expressions of who she is as a person.”
