NEWS

Donna Jean Center advocates for people with disabilities

Sydney Murray
Reporter

NEWARK - Despite having Down syndrome, Donna Swickard lived her life to the fullest.

She lived on her own, had a job, did her own shopping and paid her own bills. She made so much money that she lost some benefits people with disabilities often receive.

She loved everyone and was loved by everyone.

Now, her older brother, Dan Swickard, is renaming the James Street Day Habilitation Center after his sister, as an emulation of the kind of life he and his staff want for the people with developmental disabilities they serve.

Dan Swickard is the CEO of Consumer Support Services, a company that serves people with disabilities and runs the day center.

At a dedication ceremony Thursday, the center was renamed the Donna Jean Center - Adult Day Services.

Dan Swickard said if Donna Swickard wanted something, she'd figure out a way to get it.

She played the organ and passed the written portion of the driving test when she was determined to get her license.

Dan Swickard said the more independence his sister got, the more she wanted. He  said she was funny and loved to tell stories.

​"She definitely was not shy about just speaking her mind," center Program Director Amy Gartner said. "She was great."

Dan Swickard said from the time Donna Swickard was born, his parents never treated her as if she had a disability.

He said he wanted her to be an advocate for the company.

"She could do it, and she could talk to people, and she could find out what they want, and she could go tell whoever needed to know about it," he said.

But, before that could take place, Donna Swickard had a massive stroke.

She was no longer able to live on her own, and she was so independent that she hated having staff around and didn't want a roommate.

Her personality also changed some, partly because of dementia. She would often "fire" staff, but she was always apologetic and knew when she had done wrong.

She still had an active life, going to Florida and Myrtle Beach on trips and participating in holidays with her family.

She tried to help other people even when she wasn't able to do much.

Although Donna Swickard died in 2010, Dan Swickard said she will still be an advocate for the company by naming the center after her.

Gartner said they want people who come to the center to mirror Donna Swickard and want to make sure everyone knows they can live life to the fullest.

"The fact that we can name this after Donna, not only did she have a lot of friends here, and do a lot of good things, it is a true statement of what we want their lives to be like," Dan Swickard said.

Gartner said Donna Swickard always paved the way to be an advocate for herself and get out of life what she wanted.

"A lot of our individuals here, they don't have words to communicate, and that's where we strive everyday to make sure that we are helping them advocate for themselves in what they want in life, and to help them achieve that," Gartner said.

Adena Clayton, day service major unusual incident specialist at CSS, said the people they serve vary. They have some people with more challenging behaviors, and some still learning the basic skills in life. Clayton said they try to fit everyone in where they will be comfortable.

"Our staff are very highly trained annually, and then continuously throughout the year, so that they can work with the different developmental disabilities, physical disabilities," Gartner said.

In the end, though, Gartner said people with disabilities want the same things as anyone else.

"Everybody wants love, everybody wants a drink every now and then," Gartner said.  "Everybody wants those things as you grow older."

slmurray@gannett.com

740-328-8544

Twitter: @sydlmurray