Teacher to adopt 30yo autistic former student
Donation protected
In August of 2019, Michell Girard [NO her name does not have an "e" at the end!], a retired teacher in TX, decided to open her home and her life to a former student of hers-- 30 year old Chris Barrington, an autistic man found wandering on a busy highway one day by police. Chris lost his mom at a young age and unbeknownst to authorities at the time of his pickup, he was also about to lose his dad, his only family member.
Here's the story: "The call came into the Coryell County sheriff’s department on the afternoon of June 4. A young man had been seen walking aimlessly up and down a stretch of U.S. 84, a couple miles east of the central Texas town of Gatesville. He had been there for at least two days, the caller said. He looked to be on the verge of collapse.
A deputy named Billy Holder headed that way. He soon spotted the young man, who was standing so close to the road that a tractor-trailer had to abruptly change lanes to avoid swiping him. Holder flipped on his squad car’s emergency lights and parked in the middle of the highway to stop traffic. The young man waved at him. He was about five-foot-seven and painfully thin, maybe 120 pounds. His sweat-stained, blue-striped polo shirt was tucked into his faded blue jeans. He wore a gimme baseball cap and weathered tennis shoes. In one hand he held a flashlight; in the other, an envelope. When Holder approached, the young man gently patted the officer’s shoulder and smiled. “Are you my buddy?” he asked in a gentle, sing-song voice.
The 37-year-old Holder, who has worked for the sheriff’s department for nearly a decade, could tell the young man was disoriented. He had no identification. He said his first name was Chris, but he couldn’t remember his last name. When Holder asked why he was pacing the highway, he replied, “My daddy’s sick. My daddy can’t walk.” But no matter how many times Holder prodded, Chris couldn’t remember where his home was.
He again patted Holder on the shoulder. Holder asked about his mother, and Chris just shook his head.
Holder helped Chris into the squad car, gave him a bottle of water, and drove him to the sheriff’s department. Chris sat in a chair in the lobby, murmuring to himself. At times, he put his head in his hands and rocked back and forth."
Continued: https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/miss-girard-first-christmas-autistic-student/?utm_source=pocket-newtab
Here's the story: "The call came into the Coryell County sheriff’s department on the afternoon of June 4. A young man had been seen walking aimlessly up and down a stretch of U.S. 84, a couple miles east of the central Texas town of Gatesville. He had been there for at least two days, the caller said. He looked to be on the verge of collapse.
A deputy named Billy Holder headed that way. He soon spotted the young man, who was standing so close to the road that a tractor-trailer had to abruptly change lanes to avoid swiping him. Holder flipped on his squad car’s emergency lights and parked in the middle of the highway to stop traffic. The young man waved at him. He was about five-foot-seven and painfully thin, maybe 120 pounds. His sweat-stained, blue-striped polo shirt was tucked into his faded blue jeans. He wore a gimme baseball cap and weathered tennis shoes. In one hand he held a flashlight; in the other, an envelope. When Holder approached, the young man gently patted the officer’s shoulder and smiled. “Are you my buddy?” he asked in a gentle, sing-song voice.
The 37-year-old Holder, who has worked for the sheriff’s department for nearly a decade, could tell the young man was disoriented. He had no identification. He said his first name was Chris, but he couldn’t remember his last name. When Holder asked why he was pacing the highway, he replied, “My daddy’s sick. My daddy can’t walk.” But no matter how many times Holder prodded, Chris couldn’t remember where his home was.
He again patted Holder on the shoulder. Holder asked about his mother, and Chris just shook his head.
Holder helped Chris into the squad car, gave him a bottle of water, and drove him to the sheriff’s department. Chris sat in a chair in the lobby, murmuring to himself. At times, he put his head in his hands and rocked back and forth."
Continued: https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/miss-girard-first-christmas-autistic-student/?utm_source=pocket-newtab
Organizer and beneficiary
Danielle Brown
Organizer
Hanover, MA
Michell Girard
Beneficiary
