Our Mission:

Helping families cope with a loved one’s disability by “connecting” them to easily accessible information, practical resources and useful guidance in a variety of areas.

We know from our experience how frustrating and overwhelming it can be to cope with a major life changing event, while navigating through unfamiliar territory and making important decisions along the way. If we can help to reduce a family’s stress and make their lives easier by providing this “One Stop Disabilities Resource,” we will have achieved our primary goal with this website.

Our Vision:

Knowledge is power and being able to access meaningful resources and information is critical to ensure the best outcome for both your loved one with the disability and your entire family.

Our vision is by working together and networking with others who face the same issues, problems and fears, families will realize there is a life after a diagnosis of a serious disability. It may not be the same life as before or what you had dreamed. However, it can still be a good, fulfilling life with many unexpected rewards.

Our Request:

• We encourage you to explore this website and let us know if you have found the information helpful.

• We welcome your suggestions to improve this website and make it more useful for all.

• We ask that you share this website with any individual, family or group who may benefit from its content regardless if they live in the State of Connecticut. Most of the information is universal regardless where you live.

Our Story:

Brenda and Paul Sullivan are the parents of Katie, an 11 year old girl who was born with multiple physical disabilities including Cerebral palsy, Epilepsy and cortical blindness.

These were the result of a stroke in the days just before her birth that went undiagnosed until four months of age. This medical diagnosis is called “porencephaly.” In basic terms, the bleeding in the right side of Katie’s brain resulted in 80% of her right hemisphere being destroyed. She was left with a massive hole in the right side of her brain. Because of this, Katie is unable to speak, walk, eat food by mouth or hold herself up. She also requires around the clock care since birth.

We have been confronted with all of the emotional and interpersonal/family issues that a life changing disability like Katie’s inevitably produces. We have also had to deal with countless questions and numerous roadblocks in many areas including:The Healthcare System with respect to Katie’s medical treatment;

• The involvement of State Agencies in accessing programs and qualifying for funding;
• The local school system and associated education issues;
• Insurance and financial issues;
• Identifying necessary resources to assist us in multiple areas of daily life;
• Family; coping with the unexpected negative attitudes from some and celebrating the love and support from others.

Brenda Sullivan has eleven years of experience advocating for children with disabilities and has been a member of several Connecticut state boards, including:

• The State Advisory Council on Special Education (SAC) for the State Department of Education and;

• The Bureau of Rehab Services Council for The Board of Education Services for the Blind (BESB).

She also served as chair of the Local Interagency Coordinating Council for Greater Hartford (LICC) in Connecticut’s Birth to Three System. She is a member of First Church of Christ in Wethersfield, Connecticut and volunteers on its Disability Team, which sponsors disability outreach projects several times a year.

Brenda works part-time as a grant writer, for Planned Life Time Assistance Network in West Hartford, Connecticut, a nonprofit that assists and serves individuals with disabilities.

Paul Sullivan has over thirty two years of multi-line Claim Administration and Risk Management experience in Connecticut’s insurance industry and the private sector. He has developed comprehensive Claims Administration and Loss Control programs for commercial accounts across a variety of industries. He also assists clients in managing the performance of insurance carrier and Third Party Administrator (TPA) claim services and advocates on clients’ behalf in policy and coverage disputes with insurance companies.

Paul is a member of St. Dustan’s Parish in Glastonbury, Connecticut and enjoys volunteering for Home Front Days and Habitat for Humanity projects. He also serves as a volunteer coach each spring for Glastonbury’s Special Olympics Track and Field Team.