Newsletter for Jan/Feb 2007 Volume 4 - Issue 2 - Page 1

General Operations
Ladeska (Decky) Makings, Chief Operations Officer
Several ‘good news’ items to share-
     *Matt Schnoebelen has accepted a promotion to
Manufacturing/Marketing Coordinator. In addition to the
marketing, customer service materials procurement,
inventory management, budgeting, and DOL compliance responsibilities of the position Matt will also assume supervision of maintenance and co-coordinate the recycling operation. Matt is bright, motivated, energetic, personable- I’m confident that he will succeed in this new capacity and be a real asset to the Sunflower Diversified team.
     * JoAnn Vine joins us as our new Accounting Specialist. She has great credentials and experience so we’re pleased to have her aboard. She and Sue are both still in training for their new responsibilities so everyone has been pitching to help ensure all necessary fiscal tasks are completed.
     * The Gala was a great success again this year! We grossed $20,424 with a net profit of $15,569. The following weekend was the third Texas Hold’em tournament sponsored by Sunflower Diversified and we were pleased to net another $2,341 at that event. Congratulations to our hard working marketing staff!
     * Work on the new Sunflower Diversified Services informational video is underway. BCCC is shooting and producing the updated video to be completed by the end of May.
     * Be sure to watch for information about our upcoming “Paws in the Park” event. The date is April 22 and there will be many fun and exciting events for you family and the family dog. All proceeds will be shared by Sunflower Diversified and the Golden Belt Humane Society.

Sharon suggested we share a story about one of the men we serve and his long journey to success. It is certainly worth telling and truly demonstrates the importance of perseverance.

One of the gentlemen we serve is now 31 years old. Until the age of 25 when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor he had always been very independent man living in an apartment of his own with very little staff support necessary. During the required surgery there was damage to some of his brain tissue resulting in loss of strength and manipulative ability in his left side. He was no longer able to walk, use his left hand to full capacity, reason as quickly and easily as before and was suddenly reliant on others to assist him with most personal care and other necessary activities of daily life. He began rehabilitation therapy after the surgery with minimal progress and then gave up and refused to participate. He was treated for depression but nothing seemed to provide the motivation necessary to convince him to work at his therapies. In 2002 he returned from several months at an intensive rehabilitation center able to walk slowly with a brace and quad cane but his depression became more serious and he wouldn’t continue with follow-up therapies, refused to use the brace and other adaptations provided to increase his physical ability, and chose to rely on his wheelchair instead of maintaining his newly developed skills. During this time he frequently remained in bed for long periods of time striking out at anyone that encouraged him to get up and participate in life. Additional surgery in 2003 did little to alleviate the problems.
There have been many positive changes in many aspects of this man’s life in the last couple of years- renewed contact with a family member, a new guardian, change in therapeutic services, continually improved medical care, increased involvement with Sunflower’s community service organizations- so we may never know exactly what has provided him with his newly found motivation. He became an active participant in physical therapy in late 2006 and has since actively participated in the identification of more effective equipment to improve the use of his arm and hand as well as his mobility. A few weeks ago he asked that we take a picture for his grandmother of him standing proudly (and without assistance) next to his guardian. His brace and cane are now consistently used to walk farther and faster than ever anticipated.

We cannot always predict the exact circumstance or set of many that will provide the motivational key a person needs to make a dramatic change in their lives. It would certainly have been much easier for this young man’s team to simply give up and support him in his wheelchair but their refusal to do so ,no matter how bleak the prognosis, has made all the difference in his life.