I wanted to thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak to the new recruits regarding my son Deric, who is on the Project Lifesaver program.
I can not tell you enough how important this program is to us.
When you have a child, we as the parents are suppose to protect and keep them safe in every way possible.
Deric has Autism and has no understanding of danger, such as crossing the street, walking on the railroad tracks or checking out a detention pond or even getting into a vehicle with a stranger.
When Deric has gotten out in the past, it was not because he was angry, but because he wanted to watch the golfers swing their clubs and watch the ball go flying, this makes him happy. And another time, he heard the train whistle and wanted a closer look at the wheels spinning.
We now have combination locks on our doors as well as an alarm system to monitor which door has been opened. But, life happens, we have a younger son and his friends come and go.
It would be very hard to imagine our life without Deric. The 3 times that he has gotten out and law enforcement were searching for him, it literally made me sick to know he was out there somewhere on his own, not able to communicate and not understanding any of the dangers that he was faced with. They were the longest hours I have ever had to endure. I am grateful that he was found safe each time!
So, the bracelet gives us the peace of mind to know that instead of the 2 to 3 hours it took to find him, he will be found in 20 to 30 minutes. A less of a chance of him getting hit by a car or a train or going with a stranger.
One of the times that he got out and the search was lasting for hours, they called in the helicopter. They finally spotted him, but he would run under a bunch of trees, so they would loose him, it lasted about another hour before they had him. And the third time he got out, they were looking on the golf course, but after channel 13 came on with breaking news about him, someone called in and he was in the opposite direction. The fire truck found him standing in the middle of the railroad tracks.
If he would have had the bracelet on at these times, you would have known what direction to search for him, saving hours and money that it costs to dispatch the fire trucks and police to do a full search.
I also like the fact that this is a National Organization. When we do go and visit family out of town, Deric’s information can be faxed to the Sheriff’s Department and/or Fire Dept. for them to have on file in case Deric would wander while we are there.
Again, I can not stress enough how important this program is. When you have a child with special needs such as Autism, Down Syndrome or even a loved one with Alzheimer’s, it is very hard for a person to relate to the lives we live until they are touch by it themselves.
He needs to be watched 24/7, it doesn’t end and I use to always say, where is Deric and run thru the house to make sure I knew where he was. With the bracelet, I feel less stressed.
These kids with autism are here in huge numbers and we as a community need to be prepared to protect them in everyway possible.
Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help bring more awareness to this program.
Thank you for offering this program to families like us!!
The Suess Family Testimonial
April 13, 2009
Dear Joy,
I wanted to thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak to the new recruits regarding my son Deric, who is on the Project Lifesaver program.
I can not tell you enough how important this program is to us.
When you have a child, we as the parents are suppose to protect and keep them safe in every way possible.
Deric has Autism and has no understanding of danger, such as crossing the street, walking on the railroad tracks or checking out a detention pond or even getting into a vehicle with a stranger.
When Deric has gotten out in the past, it was not because he was angry, but because he wanted to watch the golfers swing their clubs and watch the ball go flying, this makes him happy. And another time, he heard the train whistle and wanted a closer look at the wheels spinning.
We now have combination locks on our doors as well as an alarm system to monitor which door has been opened. But, life happens, we have a younger son and his friends come and go.
It would be very hard to imagine our life without Deric. The 3 times that he has gotten out and law enforcement were searching for him, it literally made me sick to know he was out there somewhere on his own, not able to communicate and not understanding any of the dangers that he was faced with. They were the longest hours I have ever had to endure. I am grateful that he was found safe each time!
So, the bracelet gives us the peace of mind to know that instead of the 2 to 3 hours it took to find him, he will be found in 20 to 30 minutes. A less of a chance of him getting hit by a car or a train or going with a stranger.
One of the times that he got out and the search was lasting for hours, they called in the helicopter. They finally spotted him, but he would run under a bunch of trees, so they would loose him, it lasted about another hour before they had him. And the third time he got out, they were looking on the golf course, but after channel 13 came on with breaking news about him, someone called in and he was in the opposite direction. The fire truck found him standing in the middle of the railroad tracks.
If he would have had the bracelet on at these times, you would have known what direction to search for him, saving hours and money that it costs to dispatch the fire trucks and police to do a full search.
I also like the fact that this is a National Organization. When we do go and visit family out of town, Deric’s information can be faxed to the Sheriff’s Department and/or Fire Dept. for them to have on file in case Deric would wander while we are there.
Again, I can not stress enough how important this program is. When you have a child with special needs such as Autism, Down Syndrome or even a loved one with Alzheimer’s, it is very hard for a person to relate to the lives we live until they are touch by it themselves.
He needs to be watched 24/7, it doesn’t end and I use to always say, where is Deric and run thru the house to make sure I knew where he was. With the bracelet, I feel less stressed.
These kids with autism are here in huge numbers and we as a community need to be prepared to protect them in everyway possible.
Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help bring more awareness to this program.
Thank you for offering this program to families like us!!
Sincerely,
The Suess Family