Jack - A Hero

This week Bayada is celebrating Jack and his work.

 This past year Jack was nominated for a “Hero” award at work. He works as a habilitation technician with Bayada in Hilo. “Hab techs” work with disabled clients with wide spectrum of needs. For the past several years Jack has worked with the same adult client, we will call him “J”.  J is diagnosed on the more severe side of the autistic spectrum. He often gets stuck on a number or letter, he needs to have a very scheduled life, and he gets upset when there are any variations in his routine. Jack has been working with J to increase his life skills, social skills, and to work on his health and safety. For example, realizing that he needs to look up before he crosses the street, or not running through a crowded store with a shopping cart. Over the past three years J has become part of our family, and it certainly didn’t take long for me to see that Jack is a hero for being able to do this job.

Taking J and Phoenix to see the newest Lava Flow in Pahoa

Being a Hab Tech is not for the faint of heart, the weak willed, or the short tempered. The best Hab Techs are firm, consistent, and absurdly patient.   I don’t generally label myself as weak-willed or short tempered. After all, I am a teacher, I have had years of experience having to exercise patience with classrooms full of very demanding “clients”. However, spending the day with Jack and J, I find myself needing to walk away sometimes because I cannot handle listening to the same seven notes played on the piano again, for the 170^th time today. Or because I cannot handle the hovering of the curious mind who wants to see just exactly what is going into that pot of cookies.

After going to see a parade in Volcano.

These things, however, are just the day to day things, what about for big things that he does at work that he isn’t required to do? Jack was nominated for the Bayada Hero Award because of what he did for his client that was above and beyond what is expected. Instead of tell you myself, I would like to share a letter written by our good friend, who previously worked with J.

Aloha kakou,

I have a story I would like to share with you.

My name is Jessie Wenner and I worked as a personal assistant in both full and part time positions between the years of 2007 and 2009 with a client, J.J, who is profoundly autistic.  

During that time, his collaborative care team realized he was in real need of dental care.  A plan was developed which necessitated several visits to local dentists and consultations with his behavioral therapist, his attendants, and his family; in the end, J was not able to secure local dental care due to his extreme anxiety, which in his case could be a very difficult, emotionally and physically draining experience. 

J is a special person.  He has a wicked sense of humor and a deep sense of loyalty to those he loves; he is clever with gadgets and fond of sweets, and his circle of support has not wavered.  When I left employment as a PA to return to school, I was thrilled to discover on visits home that J’s latest PA, Jack Benavides, continued and even elevated the level of care J receives.  The struggles with his dental care are only one example.

When I left, the plan to find an oral care specialist to work with J was in place; all agreed he required anesthesia in order to safely enable the highest level of care.  Anything less resulted in emotional escalations that frankly frightened those unfamiliar with self-soothing techniques used by many people with profound autistic characteristics, and needless to say, did nothing to benefit J.  Local options were exhausted, one by one.

J is sensitive to fluorescent and bright lighting, sudden sounds and unfamiliar routines.  It is a true testament to his faith in Jack that he made it all the way onto a noisy plane, the bustling island of Oahu, and through his dental visit—finally.  It is an event that took over five years to take place.  Only a very special person who would be able to make this happen—and in this case, it took two: J himself, and Jack.

I hope this testimony serves to enlighten those unfamiliar with J’s story, and does something to show the amount of effort and cumulative will it took to make something very important happen in his life.  Shumoo-Ah Jack Sandford-Benavides put forth a heroic effort on behalf of a very special friend, and as a result, I would love to see a light shown on his behalf as well.

Much mahalos,

Jessie Wenner, OTR/L, MOT

Jack's article in the paper about being a Hero.

My husband is amazing. I am so very grateful for his example to me and to our daughter. I am so very grateful that Phoenix has an opportunity to grow up with close interactions with people with needs that are different than hers. She loves J., she asks about him, and in many ways she interacts with him like she would with a brother. I appreciate growing up with an autistic brother, and I think that Jack is amazing for doing his job and also supplying Phoenix with the opportunity to have an autistic “brother” as well.

I am also deeply grateful for a company that takes the time to recognize their employees that go above and beyond what is expected of them. That's My Jack, My Hero.

Company dinner at Ponds for Jack