The Story Behind Thriving4Life
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by
Deborah Ferris
Founder & CEO
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"So many of us have experienced what it’s like to run out of ways to truly enhance the quality of life of someone we love. This is especially true when that person has been on a long journey of challenges with disease or impairments. Perhaps this person has dementia or other cognitive challenges that prohibit their ability to connect with their loved ones and the world around them or to express their life needs. Perhaps they suffer from depression, anxiety, trauma, addiction, or other challenges. What can you do today that is truly going to make a difference in their life?
Time Travel
What if you discover that expressive art-making and personalized music seem to enable your loved one to reconnect with their own identity—and with you? Or, that they can be less depressed, seem to experience less pain, anxiety, or depression? How is that possible? It seems so simple. Expressive art and personalized music can really do that? Yes. They can and often do.
Within your loved one’s own mind, they seem to leave their surroundings and go to a safe place—a familiar place—one they know and love. Within a few moments your loved one seems joyful. They even begin to hum or sing the lyrics to songs you didn’t know they could remember. For the past five years, you haven’t been sure they even recognize who you are, much less that they can sing songs they once sang to you when you were a child. And they know every lyric!
And the stories behind the art they create. Expressive art is different from arts and crafts. It’s based upon the principles of art therapy. It’s about memories, thoughts, life experiences, or feelings—things that make us unique. It’s personal. It’s grounding. It can be an alternative to verbal communication. Before there was language, there was art. Expressive art and personalized music improve everyone’s health and well-being.​
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My mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in 1997. She had a 16-year journey from her diagnosis to passing in 2013. The last 9 years of her life were spent in community-based care.
Fortunately, she never lost her loving, meek, faith-filled nature. She became child-like through her journey with Alzheimer’s and, for me, Mommy seemed like a more appropriate name for her.
Mommy, Caroline & Cody
Special People
As a result of the many years spent in long-term care, my mother, sister, and I all met some wonderful people with pure and caring hearts. Mommy’s ‘caregivers’ became her lifeline when she could no longer voice her needs. Entrusting the care of someone you love to the hands of a stranger is difficult. But, the caregivers that were true to their profession are still in my heart today.
We don’t forget them. Because of them, we can sleep at night. We know that if anything happens to our loved one, that caregiver or nurse will be watching, and our phone will ring. We know who they are. They are true ‘advocates’ of our loved ones. Irreplaceable. Special people that make a difference and change lives.
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Like so many of us, I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of health and elder care. Sometimes the prettiest places with the most beautiful furnishings and art lining the walls actually provide the worst care. Sometimes an environment that is simple, comfortable, and feels like home is where we feel safest. Sometimes it’s the place that provides the very best care.
A Burning Desire
An experience with a loved one—in what is sometimes a long journey of health or elder care—often instills a burning desire within us to do something to make things better for those that follow a similar path. Our desire to make a difference is so compelling that we seem to have no choice. No matter how hard it is we must do it! But isn’t that why we’re all here anyway… to do something selfless for another human being or one of God’s creatures?
Such is the case, the driving purpose, and the dedicated hearts behind Thriving4Life. Our Board of Directors and staff are here for all the right reasons. We’re not perfect people, but we have pure hearts with every good intention. We’ve had experiences that brought us to the field of health and elder care—just like so many of you.
Thriving4Life’s mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of individuals impacted by isolation, trauma, with dementia, mental, developmental, or other impairments—as well as those that love and care for them.
To the Caregivers
To all of you who have been, are currently, or will someday become caregivers (which is everyone), with every effort we make to do good, we must keep going...don't stop!"​​​​