Client Success Stories

As told by his Mother/Guardian Sue Miller

David Miller has been residing at HIL Sunset since the Winter of 2012. Prior to moving there, he lived in Germantown at a supportive apartment with one roommate. Unfortunately, when David’s roommate passed away he began to show signs of sadness and his mother thought it would be best that he transition to a location with one or more house mates to socialize with.

The worry that David’s Mom had about him adjusting to new individuals quickly subsided as she began to see that he was happy again. David now displays emotion in ways such as smiling and hugging. He will often grab your hands and place them on his cheeks and laugh. He no longer stays in his room alone and now prefers to walk about the home and sort toys or work on large puzzles. His comprehension is much more advanced as well.

David’s Mom boasts that she now has peace of mind knowing that her loving, quiet, and mellow “Little Old Man” is always safe and happy. Her wish is for David to remain at HIL Sunset as long as time permits.

Meet Cody! Cody has been with HIL for nine years. He lives at one of the programs in the Fox Valley area. Cody shared that when he first came to HIL, he struggled a lot with the change. Cody said it was hard to get settled in at first – this was a new home and all new staff that he was working with. Over the years, Cody has established relationships with staff that have been working with him, some of which have been with him now for over 5 years. Cody has been able to adapt to having new staff come in. He has a sense of pride that he has built a relationship with his staff to the point where he is comfortable expressing how he is feeling and sharing his goals and aspirations with his team. In years past, Cody has been quiet and introverted but over time has become more social and open to talking with his staff. Cody has worked hard to become more independent in his daily responsibilities, too! Cody has taken an interest in learning to cook; his favorite items to cook include homemade French fries, pizza, and fry bread. He also enjoys spending time tending to his garden that is in the backyard and making salsa with his garden produce!

With his great success at home, Cody shared that he was interested in obtaining a job. With the help of his team, Cody recently started working at Grounded Café in Green Bay. Cody has enjoyed being able to work and be around coffee (one of his favorite things) during his shifts! Through this opportunity, Cody has continued to grow his skills by making coffee, engaging with customers, working with handling money and managing the cash register, as well as make new friends. Cody stated the reason he loves having a job is because it “makes me feel happy and that I am achieving in life goals. I love being part of the community.” Additionally, Cody shared “I’m thankful for those that believe in me. I am thankful for being able to talk about my feelings and having someone to listen.”

Cody plans to continue working and continuing to grow. We are happy to be part of Cody’s supports and look forward to watching him continue to succeed and reach his goals.

Camryn came to HIL in 2018 after living at a residential institute for many of her childhood years. After turning 18, Camryn was ready to begin her adult life in the community, close to family. HIL-Winslow was a new home that was modified to fit Camryn’s needs with the bonus of being in the Wausau area where her family resides. Camryn’s return to the community wasn’t easy; Camryn has continued to work through everyday challenges she faces including using non-verbal communication, the need for sensory input, and loud vocalizations that can be disruptive to others.

Camryn’s family is important to her so living in the Wausau area makes it possible to have frequent visits with her family, including her parents and grandfather. Camryn loves getting into the community with both her family and the staff at HIL-Winslow. Some of Camryn’s favorite things include going for walks on the trails near her home and going for stroller rides & bike rides in the community. Additionally, Camryn is involved in MyTeamTriumph of North Central Wisconsin, a team of athletes who participate in various endurance events throughout North Central Wisconsin. Camryn proudly serves as a Captain in running practice every Wednesday throughout the summer.

When Camryn isn’t in the community, you can find her swinging on her large, mounted swing in her living room and jamming out to some of her favorite tunes! Camryn has a large swing that has been customized to meet her sensory needs of swinging throughout the day. Camryn loves that she can independently use her swing in her living room regardless of the weather!

Recently, Camryn has been working on her communication skills with the help of her staff. Since Camryn does not use spoken language to communicate, she has been working with staff to use communication buttons with staff when she is hungry, needs to use the restroom, and when she wants to play. Camryn’s goal is to continue to expand her communication and has shown that she is determined to learn and expand her skills in this area.

Camryn can be described as silly, adorable, boisterous, genuine, but most of all, amazing! It’s an honor to be part of Camryn’s story and we look forward to all her future successes.