When Marc was born in 1970 the obstetrician told us that we should put Marc away and forget about him. His life expectancy was about 30 years and he should be placed in the state hospital for developmentally disabled people. That was not an option for us.

We first heard about Salem from information shared at a church service in Artesia. After visiting Benson home in Ontario, we knew that living with other guys with disabilities would give Marc the social interaction he was looking for. He moved into Benson home just before his 19th birthday. We thought it would be an emotional transition for him, but he was ready to be away from home.

As it turns out, there were four other young men at Benson home that Marc would spend then next 30 years living with. After Benson home was sold, the guys moved to Palm Place home where they had so many shared experiences.

We moved out of the area after Marc joined Salem and spent time with him on holidays, vacations and several weekends per year. He enjoyed traveling by plane and being with family. Thanksgiving is our favorite holiday together, but always after we are done with the food, Marc is ready to go back to Palm Place.  

Recently, Marc’s needs have increased and the Palm Place home was no longer able to meet his needs. Thankfully, Salem had an opening at their De Hoog home, where Marc could get more support as he ages.  

The staff, in particular the managers of the homes, have been fantastic communicators. We appreciate knowing what’s going on with Marc and getting quick responses to calls or texts. We know the staff could choose another career and we are grateful for their support.

As parents, it’s natural to be concerned about “what’s going to happen next.” For 35 years Marc has been at Salem, and we’ve never really had that worry. We feel that Salem has always had our backs.