This is a family’s story. As their son approached adulthood, Sarah and Chad faced urgent questions about independence, work, and belonging. Living with a disability added uncertainty to Isaac’s future: What would life look like for him? How much support would he always need? The answers were far from clear. Then, against all expectations, a path began to unfold beyond what they had dared to dream.
Sarah and Chad always knew Isaac had a special spark that would take him far. Chad says, “Isaac has such an interest in people—an insatiable appetite to connect. He’ll ask you questions, and he always leads with a smile.” Even as a young child, that openness drew people in. Sarah remembers a visit to a coffee shop when Isaac was seven or eight. He turned to a nearby family and asked, “Do you read the Bible?” The question led to a conversation, then dinner, and eventually a friendship between the families that lasted for years.
Now 22, Isaac still draws people in with his openness and smile. He recently moved from his family home into a staff-supported home in Rosedale, where he shares the house with a housemate who lives on the lower floor. It is his first experience of independence, and he is loving it. The move has transformed life for Isaac and his family.
But it didn’t always look this way.
Isaac with his parents Chad and Sarah.
When the Path Became Uncertain
Growing up and attending school with disabilities brought challenges, but Isaac mostly enjoyed his early school years. He might not have been able to walk, but he communicated well, had friends, and was supported by teachers who knew him. Chad remembers things changing in high school. Without the social connection he thrived on, Isaac began to struggle. As Sarah puts it, “It wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies.” His sunny disposition faded for a time, and the family struggled as they tried to manage on their own.
Around 2020, Sarah and Chad realized they could no longer manage alone. They could not give Isaac the support he needed while also caring for their other children. They needed help.
Chad called organizations seeking support, but no one was able to offer help. Eventually, he reached Bethesda and connected with Rodney Wiebe, Director of Family Support.
Chad explained that Isaac would need support after major surgery, but the family had nothing in place. Burnout was high, and they needed help immediately. Rodney recognized the urgency: Isaac was still more than seven months from turning 19 and becoming eligible for CLBC funding. Despite months of Chad and Sarah advocating for help from funders, health partners, school-transition supports, community advocates, and the STADD Navigator, respite had not been approved.
Support Arrived When It Mattered Most
That is where the Family Support team, made possible in part by donations, stepped in until CLBC funding could be secured. While Chad and Sarah continued advocating, the team came alongside. Rodney put in a request to Bethesda for three days per month of donation-funded respite to provide immediate relief. Isaac began with evening and daytime visits to Vedder Terrace so staff could get to know Isaac and understand his needs, then progressed to overnight respite. The practical response gave the family reliable support while longer-term funding was pursued.
For Chad and Sarah, those respite nights were heaven-sent. “That was the first break that we had had in probably four years.” When Bethesda offered to help despite the barriers—telling them, as Chad recalls, “We’ll figure it out”—they were relieved beyond words. Dawna says, “The burden that that lifted off of the family with those regular respite hours was unbelievable.”
Experiencing Bethesda’s services and inclusive community—where everyone is supported to be who God made them to be—helped the family see a way forward.
Isaac began attending Crossroads Community Inclusion at Vedder Terrace a few times each week, along with twice-weekly community dinners. His mom recalls how much he loved it: “He kept asking, ‘When am I going next? Who’s my worker next time? What am I going to be doing next time?’ You could see he just wanted more.”
About a year later, Sarah and Chad asked about a longer respite stay so they and their four other children could take a vacation. Bethesda offered a week. During that week, Isaac enjoyed a vacation of his own at Vedder Terrace, where staff planned staycation adventures including Barnston Island, a day in Vancouver, movies, and time with friends. As Sarah says, “He had the time of his life, while we got to just focus on the kids and really give them time and attention.”
Over four years of visits and stays at Vedder Terrace, Isaac became fully part of the community and found a true sense of belonging.
A Home of His Own
This past winter, an opening became available at the new staff-supported Parkwood Home, but it was not automatically available to Isaac. Dawna Braun, Acting Chief Services Officer, spoke with CLBC about why the home suited his needs. When CLBC agreed and called the family, Dawna remembers, “They were in tears and asked when they could come see it.” At the home, they sobbed, saying, “I cannot believe that this is a possibility for my son.”
Isaac’s reaction was just as moving. Asked if he would like to move in, he did not hesitate. Dawna says, “He was so excited. If he didn’t have, like, a seat belt on, he would have been jumping in his chair!” That evening, at Bethesda’s Chilliwack Ice Cream Social, he told everyone he met, “Guess what! I’m moving out on my own!”
Shortly after moving into Parkwood Home, Isaac introduced himself to his neighbours with a plate of brownies.
Next came a housewarming party. The home was filled with family, friends, and people who had supported Isaac throughout his life. Sarah and Chad watched proudly as he warmly welcomed guests into his home. Sarah reflected, “It goes down in the top 10 cool moments of Isaac’s life.”
Isaac has continued bringing people together. He hosted participants from Bethesda’s other Chilliwack supported homes and community inclusion programs at a Worship in the Park gathering across the street. His highlight was emceeing and co-leading the group in singing How Great Thou Art.
A Future Full of Possibility
Isaac’s life as an independent adult is just beginning. Chad and Sarah hope Bethesda can help him build on his gifts and live a full, rich life. Sarah says, “Quite honestly, I couldn’t even picture what life would look like for Isaac. I just knew that we wanted him to have the opportunity to be independent, like his siblings would, and to have his life be his life, and for him to have say and autonomy in it. And we just didn’t know the path.”
Chad returns to the qualities that define Isaac: “that insatiable appetite to connect with people, that ability to disarm and open doors with people,” and the freedom to simply be himself. He says, “I think we’ve been able to develop that in him, but I think Bethesda can take that even further with just the support that they can give him that we just can’t.”
Isaac has a busy fall ahead: serving as greeter at his sister’s wedding and hosting his family for Christmas in his new home. As he and his mom imagine the traditions he might create, his future looks bright.
Isaac’s story shows what can happen when people work together. Sarah and Chad knew their son best and continued advocating for his future. Bethesda listened, provided donation-funded respite when no other support was available, and worked alongside the family. CLBC ultimately helped make a lasting solution possible. No one could have created this path alone. Your gift enables Bethesda to step into the gaps, bring people together, and help more families find a way forward. Donate today and become part of the story, working alongside families and Bethesda to create pathways to relief, belonging, and brighter futures.
