Chapter 8: The Future for Lizzie's Son and the System

12:00:42:27 - 12:02:24:03

Lisa: Given all the work that you had done over the years, and others, you and others, what do you feel the future holds now for your son, and other children with disabilities?

Lizzie: Well, I'm looking at Harrisburg right now. I'm also looking at the cutbacks. Everybody right now service, we -- no one knows what the future holds for any of these service, really. You know, we do all the advocating, but 'body comes in and don't know the service, and just cut, cut, cut. You want to know what the future holds now, so that's why we're going to meetings and try to stay on top of it, and try to hold the service we got. I do have a problem with them not putting anyone on -- no money there for that waiting list. I have a problem with that, because another problem that I'm dealing - that I've --children coming out of school. Where do they go, and what services going to be out there for them? So no one knows. I think everybody's future's up in the air right now. I don't care how good of a service you got, or how long you've been getting the service. But they say, nothing lasts forever, and you trying to find out like what you do now, what to do next, and we still advocating. That's why I'm back out there, you know. So that's what -- that's how I feel.

12:02:24:03 - 12:04:59:14

Lisa: Ms. Richardson, where does your son Darryl live now?

Lizzie: He live at home. He live at home. But if he richer, he would go to -- hopefully they don't cut everything off. It used to be respite care. You know, that's where I want him to be placed at, because the staff knows him, because he been going since he was 11, and he is on their waiting list and he - and I go every December. I go to meet with them and update his service, update his residential service. He goes to respite care there, too, you know, and when I go on vacation, he goes there. He have a vacation, I have a vacation, and that's how we do it. And then we glad to see one another when we come. He did what he wanted to do. I did what I wanted to do, and we happy to see each other. Like the party Friday night. He did not want me to go to the party. I do not go. I do not go.

Lisa: What are some of the best times that you and Darryl share together, Ms. Richardson?

Lizzie: We go out to eat. Darryl come home, sometimes we go out to the country. We love the County Buffet, and I don't have a granddaughter, but he gave me one, and she thinks I'm her grandmother. So tomorrow I be down at the school picking her up, and she's coming to outreach. But she wanna do child care, and she only 11. She can't do volunteer work, she's too young. Her sister is graduating this year, so she's doing it. So she's going to come and tell me the other day, oh Shaieda can't work Saturday.

She want to replace Shaieda, but she's too young. She's good at it, but she's too young. I said, no way, we can't use her. You know, she's too young.

Lisa: You said Darryl gave her to you?

Lizzie: I mean, no, we didn't -- I remember her and her mother when she was being baby-like, and the way her mother treated her, and now. And the other lady got custody of her, and she sent her to school. She's nice to her. Okay, she's doing the basic things for her, like send her to school, feeding and clothing her. Now -- but the cosmetic things, I do, like the cell phone that children have now, okay. Class trip, I do the class trip. And we're working together with this and that bring her life completely, that she's not out of things. You know, I buy her things and different things, and take her out to eat, too, because Darryl will go to - now I pick her up Friday. Darryl going to the dance, and I'm taking her to Burger King. So that's how we do it.