Meet Jill

This is Jill, aka Jilly Bean. Jill is my husband's younger sister, and out of her three brothers, I think she looks the most like him.

 Jilly is a child with special needs. When she was a few months old she started experiencing seizures. Mild seizures quickly escalated into grand mal seizures. She has suffered hundreds of these seizures, which left Jill severely mentally disabled. She is unable to speak, but can communicate basic needs through picture boards and a few signs.

My amazing in-laws asked me to take some updated pictures of Jill, and some pictures of the three of them together.

Jill and her parents often go on walks through the neighborhood. Few things make her happier. I love the way she holds her Dad's hand..his pinky finger actually

I love how Jill's personality shows in these pictures. She makes this face when she knows she's being cheeky.

Jill requires 24/7 care, which definitely takes its toll on the Solomons. Thankfully, Jill has a wonderful live-in caregiver, Emily. You can see they have a special relationship from these pictures.

 

 

Knowing how challenging and physically exhausting it can be to provide constant care for a special needs child, Lon and Brenda were moved to create a respite care center for families with children with special needs. This center will allow families to leave their child in a high quality care facility for a day or weekend so that husbands and wives can spend time together alone or time focused on their other children. Construction began this year and the center is fittingly called Jill's House.

 

I get so excited every time I drive by this construction site because I know this building will be a blessing to many families. It represents countless hours of planning and sacrifice that Lon and Brenda put into making this place a reality for families in need.