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Founding
Families 2008 Honorees Foster Care Family Judy Colwell is a single
woman who served as a foster parent to three young children – ages 2, 4
and 5 – from February 2007 through January 2008. Her goal was to adopt
the children. Much to her disappointment things did not work out as she had
planned. Judy grew up on a farm
with a big family. She had six brothers and a sister and always dreamed of
having a family of her own one day. She joined the military right out of high
school and later came to work for Pilot Corporation. While working full-time
at Pilot, she attended Pellissippi State Technical Community College and the
University of Tennessee to obtain her degree in accounting. She graduated
from UT in May 2006 cum laude with a BS in business administration. Judy told
coworkers that as soon as she had a degree she wanted to raise a family, and
upon graduation she set out to do that in an amazing way. Unable to have children
of her own, Judy planned to adopt. Her goal was to adopt two children, but
she readily accepted the challenge when she received a call asking her to
take in three children all under the age of 5. The children’s
background was a difficult one. Their mother and father were both in and out
of jail, and the mother was addicted to crack. The oldest child has memories
of being locked in his room while his mother caroused with unsavory friends. The children arrived with
extensive medical and dental needs. The 2 year old had never been vaccinated,
and all of the children needed shots, dental work and medical attention. They
were somewhat malnourished. Although the children arrived in rather bleak
condition, Judy was undaunted. She immediately took them to get the health
care they needed and then set about meeting their deeper, emotional needs. A coworker credits
Judy’s military background with providing her the organizational skills
necessary to raise three young children on her own while working full-time.
Remarkably, she didn’t just “survive” each day of raising
three youngsters on her own. She found the time to invest in their well-being
and did the things for them that their mother had not. She taught the
children their ABCs and how to count, and she toilet-trained the youngest.
She enrolled the younger siblings into a quality day care program with Helen
Ross McNabb that included counseling and enrolled the 5 year old in special
classes to help him prepare for first grade. She also arranged for physical
therapy for the 2 year old, who had a problem with
one of her feet. In addition to tending to
their health and educational needs, Judy helped the children blossom by
providing them with unconditional love and providing memorable experiences
for them. She took them to drive-in movies and camping. She took them on
trips – one to the beach and another to visit her family in Pennsylvania,
where they enjoyed sledding. Friends watched with admiration the
transformation of the children under Judy’s care and say that she
instilled in the children a respect for themselves and others. By all
accounts, what Judy did for these children is nothing short of remarkable. Judy was devastated when
the children’s father went from having visitation for one hour a week
to having full custody, but she still put the children’s well-being at
the forefront. Although she did so through many tears and with much anguish,
she did what she knew was best for the children and packed up their
belongings – clothing, toys and other items she had so carefully
purchased for them over the past year – and sent them to the father so
that the children would have what they needed. The caseworker assigned to the
children says that every time she sees the children they ask about Judy. Although Judy dreams of having the
children back, if that doesn’t work out she plans to take in other
children and give them the love and support she longs to share. Adoptive Family Steve
and Amy Gann
Steve and Amy Gann
married in 1971 and have 4 children -- Stevie,
Adam, Jill, and Alex, and 6 grandchildren. They have raised their children with a
strong sense of family and family values. The family enjoys doing activities
together such as camping, swimming, cookouts, or just a night at home
watching movies together. Throughout the years,
they have helped many children in their own neighborhood and friends of their
children. In December of 2003,
Steve and Amy took the first step toward becoming foster parents by calling
Child & Family Tennessee to inquire about becoming foster parents. After discussion and agreement, and
without hesitation, Steve and Amy quickly joined PATH training classes, they were approved as foster parents on February
18, 2004, and welcomed their first foster child into their home as a respite
in March, 2004. In May, 2004, the Ganns provided respite care for a young lady, Stephanie,
in their home and all immediately felt bonded and as though Stephanie was
“meant to be” a part of their family. This young lady quickly started
calling the Ganns “mom and dad” and
viewed Alex as her “brother”, though she was not yet a permanent
part of this family. After some
more time spent together as respite, all decided the Gann family wanted to
make Stephanie a part of their family, and Stephanie definitely wanted that
to happen. Stephanie moved into
the Gann home in July, 2004 and after a period of getting to really know each other and working through some issues together
as a family, Stephanie Gann was officially adopted into the family in
February, 2005. Since their initial
approval as a foster home, the Ganns have welcomed
18 children into their home, either as respite or permanent family
members. The Ganns
are known at Child and Family Tennessee for being willing to work with
children/youth of any age, race, and with a multitude of issues. The Ganns
have fostered both males and females, a sibling group of 3 (ages 1, 2, and 6
yrs.), teens through the age of 17, and have even provided care for
Stephanie’s biological sister.
The Ganns have helped these young people
with a nurturing, supportive, loving and accepting approach while setting
limits and providing the structure and stability all children need. Many children who have been placed with
the Ganns still keep in touch and remain a part of
the Ganns’ lives. Inspirational Family David,
Susan, Caroline, Jay, Reid and Whitney Owen Having faced a
life-altering event with exceptional courage, the Owen family is a perfect
fit for the criteria of the Inspirational Family Award. For all who are
fortunate enough to be among the many Owen family friends, they have modeled
how to respond when one’s world is shattered. The lives of the Owen
Family were dramatically changed on November 7, 2006, when their 20 year old
college daughter, Caroline, was critically injured in a single vehicle
accident during a rain storm in South Carolina, while on her way back to
Clemson University. She suffered acute traumatic brain injury, several
fractures, multiple contusions, and was in a coma for weeks. In December 2006, she was transferred
back to the Select Specialty Care at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center and
eventually underwent months of intensive inpatient rehabilitation at Patricia
Neal Center. Since her discharge
in May 2007, she has continued to receive daily outpatient therapy. Those are the simple facts of the
story, but the inspirational part of this story is how the Owens have dealt with this tragedy. With the exception of a few
hours, her mother has assumed the job of Caroline’s total care.
Caroline’s father’s office is next door to Ft. Sanders Hospital,
and the three of them literally lived in Caroline’s room for her five
and a half month stay. At home,
they made modifications that would allow informal therapy sessions in their
living room. They added ramps, altered a bathroom, and converted an office
for her to have a bedroom on the main floor. The physical descriptions of the
changes in their home, however, does not adequate describe the changes that
they made in their family. They are focused on a single goal: helping
Caroline get well.
Caroline’s mother has learned how to give the appropriate
physical therapy. Even when
Caroline was still in a coma, Susan worked with Caroline’s arms and
legs to ensure flexibility and range of motion so they would be ready for
Caroline when she was ready for them. Her older brothers, Jay
and Reid, and sister-in-law Whitney, left their homes in Washington, DC. and joined their parents at Caroline’s bedside,
within hours of the accident.
They posted frequent updates on her Caring Bridge website, which
allowed family and friends to keep in touch. Now, they call daily, come
often, and are a continual source of strength. The Owens demonstrate
love, faith, commitment, resiliency, and dedication to their beloved daughter
and sister through their actions and their words. Their unwavering optimism
in the face of severe, life-threatening trauma, believing that she will
recover, provides encouragement to Caroline. It also gives hope to all of their
extended family and multitude of friends. And then there is Caroline
herself. Even with her physical
limitations, she has regained her memory and sense of humor. She sets the
tone with her positive attitude and determined will to improve. Sometimes these improvements are tiny,
but each little increment has been marked with joy, with thankfulness, and
with the support from family, friends, and the professionals that she needs
for making the next step in her recovery. Because Caroline has not yet regained
her ability to speak, she and her family have learned finger spelling so that
she can communicate. She is
working to regain both small and large muscle motor control. Caroline has
been a swimmer all her life. Her mother drives her to water therapy twice
weekly; where the soothing, healing powers of water have provided an adjunct
to her other therapies and a tie to her pre-accident life. She is animated;
she is happy; she is affectionate. She truly has a grateful heart and
expresses her thanks for everything that anyone does for her. Caroline is the
embodiment of the power of the human spirit to overcome huge obstacles that
could defeat most of us. Caroline strives to be the best she can be. She is tireless in her determination
to meet the next challenge. She works hard at therapy session, inspiring all
of her therapists. She is
exhausted at the end of each day, yet she rises the next day to work towards
achieving new landmarks in her recovery.
Her parents are there with her, every moment, cheering her on,
believing in the power of love to heal. During this very difficult time, the
Owens have a positive influence on everyone around
them and tried to improve others’ lives. They have created the
“Caroline Can” Foundation to raise $25,000 for Patricia Neal
Rehabilitation Center through a tailgate party at a UT football game,
soliciting contributions and selling “Caroline Can” wrist
bracelets. This campaign will culminate with a swim across the English
Channel by her brothers in August.
Caroline is planning to be there to cheer them on! As Caroline improves, she is an
inspiration to others at Patricia Neal and to their families. The Owens are cheerleaders for others as they try to regain lost
abilities. As Caroline
progresses, the Owens have shared with others who have not progressed as far
the items that made Caroline’s life easier, which she no longer needs. Rose Kennedy
once said, “It’s not what happens to you that matters. It is how you handle it.” The Owen family is living beyond
tragedy, and coping with a life-changing circumstance that is an ongoing
inspiration to everyone who knows them.
Community Leadership Family Elwood, Denise, Andrea, Chad and Robin Pennington
The 1st and 10 Foundation was started in
2003 by New York Jets Quarterback (and former Webb football player) Chad
Pennington and his wife Robin, with the mission to build stronger communities
by funding programs and institutions that seek to improve quality of life
throughout West Virginia, Tennessee and the New York Metropolitan area. For the past two years, the 1st
and 10 Foundation has provided a holiday “shopping spree” and
celebration for 24 children from Child & Family Tennessee’s group
homes. These children, who are separated from their families through abuse
and neglect, often have little to look forward to at the holidays. During this
remarkable afternoon, each child received a shopping trip to Target, complete
with a $250 Target Gift Card and a 1st and 10 t-shirt. Volunteers,
including Elwood, Denise and Andrea, assisted the youth in choosing their
gifts and keeping a budget. Next came a trip to Zuma’s for pizza and fellowship with each other and
with the volunteers. At Zuma’s, the youth
were surprised with a travel bag containing a warm coat, hat and gloves. Perhaps the greatest gift given to
this group of teens was the personal interactions with Elwood, Dense, and
Andrea, and the inspirational conversation the Penningtons
had with them. They spoke
directly to the youth and gave each one a message of hope and support to
believe in their individual worth and ability to change their own lives.
Elwood then gave them a phrase to take with them for the rest of their lives:
“If it’s to be, it starts with me.” Who
do you know that should be nominated? Click here to
enter their story into consideration for the 2010 Founding Families Awards. |
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