Cindy Gibson was dying of cancer when she became the face of the crisis in care for adults with developmental disabilities.
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Pale and weak, Gibson made a desperate plea for a permanent home for her adult, disabled daughter, Cherisse.
“It is only because of my children that I am still here,” she told the Citizen in January.
Gibson, who was 61 when she died in May, had two disabled children, both of whom needed full-time care. Her son, Jimmy, was settled into a group home and doing well, but her daughter was on a waiting list and badly in need of permanent care.
Gibson had cared for her daughter at home until she became too sick to do so. Then, while she continued to wait for a spot in a group home, her daughter was cared for by friends and sent to respite care, an unsettled routine that was difficult for her to cope with, Gibson said.
Gibson’s story underscored the desperate need by families like hers for care for their children. Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin has been investigating the plight of adults with developmental disabilities and is expected to report soon.
Parents across the province, including one in Ottawa, have dropped off children at shelters or provincial offices, saying they are no longer able to cope and have waited years for help.
Not long after she spoke to the Citizen, Gibson got the news she had been hoping for: Cherisse was offered a spot at a group home — operated by the same organization that ran her brother’s group home, which allowed the siblings to see each other.
Gibson’s friend Sheryl Stone said Cherisse is thriving in her new home. “The kids are doing wonderfully. Cherisse is blooming, which is really good,” she said.
Stone said Gibson was a “tough cookie” who would not rest until her children were both cared for.
“It was her biggest fear, to die before her kids were settled,” said Stone. “Thank God everything fell into place.”
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Cindy Gibson died in May, after fighting to make sure her two developmentally delayed adult children would be cared for.
epayne@ottawacitizen.com
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