Like any expectant mother, Bonnie Brown felt a mix of joy and anxiety when she discovered she was pregnant with her daughter Myra, now 15. Being told in her early twenties she would be unable to have children due to her intellectual disabilities, she considers Myra her “miracle baby”. Ms. Brown has an IQ of 70, which indicates a limitation in intellectual functioning.

Growing up, Myra never knew her mother was any different than her friends’ moms until Bonnie told her. Ms. Brown has raised her daughter as a single mother since Myra was two-years-old. She has a part-time job at Wendy’s to pay bills and receives assistance from Community Interactions in Philadelphia for services such as cooking and running errands. Currently, four Community Interactions staff members assist Bonnie and Myra in their day-to-day tasks.

Myra is a successful student at the Merion Mercy Academy in Philadelphia, paid for by a benefactor of Community Interactions, and plans to attend the University of Cambridge upon graduation to study marine biology. She credits her success to her mother’s love and support.

Ms. Brown’s story is so inspiring because often people with disabilities face discrimination and unjust custody battles. Bonnie has proved that parents do come in a variety of shapes and sizes and people with intellectual disabilities can be successful parents.

Myra put it best when she told her mother, “”I want you to know that even though our situation is unique, I’m happy that I am in it because I am happy that I am with you.”

Scioto finds and purchases properties that are safe, convenient and affordable homes for people with developmental disabilities. We work with provider organizations, state agencies, families, and individuals to ensure the homes we purchase are specific to the needs of the people who will be living there.

image: delcotimes.com