PRT - David Boone Advisory Award

 Our Executive Team was recently honored by The City of Rock Hill's Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Department at their annual Volunteer Dinner. This is what they had to say about our team:

This committee and its partners has imagined, fundraised, developed and built Miracle Park phase one which opened in September of 2021. In 2022, they have continued to fundraise and plan for phase two. They have put their hearts, soul and hard work into making Miracle Park not only a dream but a reality that has become a destination for families, seniors and youth of all abilities.

In 2016, one of these members traveled to Greenville to watch his nephew play in a Miracle League game. That was the inspiration he needed to come back and discuss with family and friends his idea of building a miracle field in Rock Hill. Having grown up playing sports and now with his children being involved in sports he knew Rock Hill needed a field for athletes of all abilities to play. It didn’t take long for them to begin the implementation of this idea. Connections were made and others jumped at the chance to be involved in something so great. A committee was formed…a builder, a developer, a fundraiser, community leaders…a meeting was held with York County disabilities foundation members, sports commission members, city staff members, more community leaders and from there, the possibilities continued. The idea was brought forth to put the field on property that already held a city park. Additionally, Winthrop University was approached about the adjacent property. Through many discussions and meetings and nearly a year later, a public/ private partnership was formed.

Years later and millions of dollars raised, this field became not just a field but an entire park. Through so many efforts, the first phase included an all-inclusive playground with innovative play equipment, restrooms, an office and concessions building, a multi-purpose field and of course the Miracle Field. This group made sure to go beyond the norm and complete the requirements needed to be awarded universal design standards. The second and third phases are being planned and will be just as exciting as the first.

The park has thousand of visitors a month. From Miracle League, Benji Ball, youth softball games, playground time, story time, the Book Mobile, kite flying, kickball, many more events and programs the park is busting at the seams. If you have been there, you know. What a wonderful sight!!

This committee has worked tirelessly to host events and fundraisers to benefit the park. They have been instrumental in getting the community involved throughout the whole process. Their dedication and time has been one that has built a place where everyone belongs and no matter your ability…you have a place to play.

I’d like to present the David Boone Advisory Award to the Miracle Park Executive Committee. This committee includes David Williams, Alice Davis, Warren Norman, Kennedi Christopher, Kylie Carroll, John Taylor, Michelle Schaffer, Sig Huitt and Jack Leitner.

We are very thankful to the PRT team for all they do for Miracle Park and are honored to accept this award!

Seeking Guardianship for an Individual with Disabilities

My husband was a fierce and tireless advocate for people with disabilities. A former middle-

school journalism and English teacher, his life’s trajectory changed when daughter Hannah was

born in 1976 with Down Syndrome. He began employment with Easter Seals Colorado, and

later became the executive director at the ARC of Jefferson County, Colorado. Among other

things, he promoted a “least restrictive environment” model for people with developmental

disabilities where the individual, with advice from loved ones and advocates, could make their

own life decisions. This model carried over to our daughter, adopted from China at age 7, when

we realized that she, too, had significant developmental disabilities.

Before she turned 18, we had healthcare and financial powers of attorney documents drafted

as a safety net. We avoided full guardianship out of respect for the “least restrictive

environment” model. This worked well, until behavioral health issues began to impair her

ability to remain safe. She became impulsive, defiant, and belligerent. She demonstrated to us

in clear fashion that she was not capable of making safe decisions. Her mental health and her

cognitive and intellectual disabilities were on a collision course that would take her down a very

dangerous path if left to her own devices.

Now in her twenties, my husband and I mulled over the next steps. Tragically, he died

unexpectedly in October 2021. Our world turned upside down, and for our fragile daughter it

was full blown chaos. Through the grief and aftermath of an untimely death, the surviving

children and I thought it was time to seek full guardianship for her and we all felt that dad

would agree. I made the call to our family attorney.

I learned that guardianship is not granted based on fears of what may happen. It must be

demonstrated that she is an incapacitated adult. This following excerpt was taken from the

sccourts.org website:

In South Carolina, an incapacitated person is someone who is impaired due to mental

illness, developmental disability, physical illness or disability, advanced age, chronic use

of drugs or alcohol, or other causes. Just because an individual makes bad decisions or

has a disability does not necessarily mean that he or she is an incapacitated person. See

S.C. Code Ann. § 62-5-101 at http://scstatehouse.gov/code/t62c005.php.

It goes on further to differentiate between an incapacitated person and one with poor

judgement:

An incapacitated person is unable to make responsible decisions about his or her well-

being. A person with poor judgment has the ability to make responsible decisions but

chooses not to do so. Sometimes it may be difficult to understand the reasons for the

poor decisions, which is why the Probate Court relies on the opinions of medical

examiners.

Based on these definitions, I am currently seeking guardianship for her now. I started the

process not long after my husband’s passing, only to table it when our daughter’s mental health

appeared to improve. This was short lived, and the process of seeking guardianship is in active

stages at this time. Letters are being sent by the court to her siblings (to assure the court that

they are knowledgeable, and in case anyone wants to contest the petition) as we prepare for

medical and psychological examinations mandated by the court. She is safe in a “host home”

about an hour from me. The following are questions I had to answer for the guardianship

petition… do I believe she should retain the legal rights for any of the following:

1. Make end-of-life decisions

2. Participate in social and religious activities

3. Vote

4. Consent to or refuse educational services

5. Contract for marriage

6. File for divorce

7. Travel independently

8. Be employed without the consent of a guardian

9. Operate a vehicle

Each element was carefully considered as to what the minimum restrictions would be in order to keep

her safe yet give her the autonomy to make some major decisions in her life. As the retired one in our

family, my husband was at the helm of our daughter’s life-planning activities while I maintained my full-

time job. Since his passing, I’ve been on a crash course of educating myself about programs, systems,

resources and social security. As your loved one with a disability is growing toward adulthood, think

about how to approach this process for them, and for you. It is not a “one size fits all” solution, and not

all those with disabilities will need full guardianship. There are pages of state-specific guardianship

information on the web. Do your homework. Speak to others who have walked through the process and

come to a decision that best fits the needs of your loved one. The process of life planning and

guardianship should be easily and readily available to all impacted families. 

Written and submitted by Paula Lowther.

Paula is a nurse practitioner with more than 30 years experience in the field, including camp nursing for adults and children with disabilities She is currently expanding her resume to include content writing for the healthcare industry. She has 2 young adult daughters, and is the bonus mom for her husband, Todd’s 3 adult children. She resides in Fort Mill with her menagerie of dogs, cats and birds.