Today we’d like to introduce you to Maddox Macy.
Hi Maddox , it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Childhood was either a character-building exercise or what it seemed…difficult. For a couple of years, during 4th grade through about 7th grade, I would visit my aunt’s classroom, who was an elementary special education teacher. I really enjoyed helping in her class. Many years later, I was told that one of my own children would be born with special needs. There were so many thoughts with that pregnancy. Such as, how will my other children suffer with a special needs sibling, or the biggest question of all, who will take care of my special needs son after I die? The scary reality is strangers. Strangers care for the disabled community. I felt fortunate that the doctor was mostly wrong. After high school, the aid and funding for adults with disabilities end. Parents who have a disabled child have few options for help. The most common solution is to live at home with family or in a group home, for a price. Imagine if your child with disabilities lived in a group home. Unfortunately, people with disabilities have a disproportionate amount of abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect. This is partly due to the low standards and low pay for caregivers. As a retired Army veteran, with no more kids at home, I feel like it is my mission in life to protect people with disabilities as well as the caretakers. I am about to graduate with a master’s degree in applied psychology from Tarleton State. My goal is to obtain a joint Juris Doctorate and a PhD, and to advocate for individuals with disabilities and their caregivers. I see a need in the community for involvement. Since there are no joint programs near me, I will have to earn each degree separately, which will take a little longer. At 44 years old, I believe this is the right time for me because I can leverage my life experiences, which I think will help me in school and at work. People with disabilities are labeled by their deficiencies instead of their abilities. Every person with a disability can contribute something to the community; it may just look different from what you can do. Some of the clients I work with have incredible skills and talent. For example, one woman plays the piano by ear extremely well, and one man has math skills that surpass my own. I have a dream that people with disabilities will someday get more allocated taxes for facilities, life skills programs, and employment opportunities, but also that caretakers are trained and paid well. People’s lives and loved ones are in the hands of the caregivers, most of whom do not even make a living wage but are committed to caring for the disabled community. I work with one woman who has been with this specific group for over twenty years and still earns less than $14 an hour. This woman could go anywhere else and make a better living for her family, yet she chooses not to because she is passionate about serving this special population. Another one of my staff members lost her brother and is trying to move her mother here from Ohio. I have offered to fly up and drive her back. Her mother was born without limbs and raised three kids. This staff member takes care of disabled people because she saw her own mother’s struggle. One of the most excellent perks of my job is taking care of the caretakers. About four years ago, I survived a traumatic event. I knew something had to change, and so I started with a bagel. I started eating a bagel for breakfast, and now I supervise a Life Skills Center, am about to graduate with a master’s, and have other interesting opportunities. A master’s degree will enable me to teach. Maybe bagels are magic,
I want to start a program in my community where emergency response personnel, police, fire, and EMS, actively train with adults with disabilities. Emergencies come in all different types, and so do disabilities. I dream of my clients having jobs in their communities, living and actively participating in them. I believe everyone has something to contribute to the community. Hiding away people who are different is not the correct answer. In Native American culture, the Inuit believed that disabilities, such as autism, were special and that the person had a unique connection to the world. It was seen as valuable. We are all valuable.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth road. This is one of the hardest things I have done, but it is also one of the most rewarding jobs. I have a talent for fixing things, and in this job, there are numerous opportunities to utilize it. As a supervisor, I get the chance to be the boss that I needed when life was hard. I believe in supporting my staff, who are the real heroes. They come to work every day for very little pay to clean bodily fluids, manage challenging behaviors, administer medications, and attend to their clients’ daily needs. I also have disabilities from my service. I have family demands and other obligations. I feel like a circus coordinator on some days. I would not change it. I care about people. There is a passion in me that will not allow me to retire and enjoy life. I raised my children to be good people, always tell the truth, and always do the right thing. I also taught them that they cannot complain about stuff if they are not willing to help fix it. I see a broken system and am compelled to help fix it. I am currently completing my law school application. I toured Texas A&M in Fort Worth and plan on applying there. I want to combine psychology and law to make common-sense policies. I wake up at 4 am every day to do homework, and I am pleased if I am in bed by 10 pm. It is worth it. I love my job. I retired from the Army and bought a house in Cleburne. I was born here but did not grow up here. I came here about 6 years ago to get to know my family. I am invested in my community. I have great neighbors. I have gotten to know some really great boutiques and women in business. There has been discussion about forming a group to support professional women in the community, but so far, it remains just an idea. I installed a book share box on my curb. I am recognized for my clothing style around town. I call it hippy professor style. I don’t know a stranger. People are so interesting. My daughter recently reminded me that I have lived an incredible life and have had some fantastic experiences. My service gave me interesting and exciting experiences. I have worked in several fields, but I keep returning to disability law and policy. I have a protective nature, and this position gives me a purpose. A friend from my veteran’s support group, who also works with these disabled adults, told me about this job. He is an outstanding person. A male veteran who also knows sign language. He is a unicorn in this industry. We have another male veteran who fiercely protects the client’s rights. Each staff member contributes invaluable dedication to caring for our clients. I was unsure if I could perform this job effectively without losing focus on my schoolwork. There was an adjustment period. My staff, coworkers, and bosses have been so supportive. The direct care staff have become the family I was searching for. Helping people is the most rewarding and pleasurable thing for me during my own recovery from trauma. Helping is healing. I am driven by the desire to be a positive role model and, in many ways, forge my own path. I have four dogs and a tortoise, all rescues, who live inside our home. I also feed other outside “pets” in the garden.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am most proud of my ability to think creatively and think outside the box. I do not accept ‘no’; I believe there is always a ‘yes,’ and we just have to find it. I am a creative problem solver. For example, I think food-producing landscaping should be used in the town square instead of decorative plants. I repurpose trash into art. I have recycled metal at the junkyard and found discarded troughs that are now used as flower beds. I call the metal recycle place the art supply store. Imagine our grandchildren having to clean up our trash. I love learning, reading, and going to school. The only way I could find to stay in school forever was to teach. My goal is to be a doctor, a lawyer, and a professor. I want to teach psychology, advocate for the rights of the disabled community, influence policy, and help people access the justice system. Some days I feel like I have bitten off more than I can chew. Rarely does anyone get to meet their counterpoint in life. We will win. We have each other. He believes in my passion, and I am right; it just takes a spark. My daughter, a 25-year-old chemistry major, lives close by. My two sons, Timothy (21) and Thomas (23), live out of state. My stepson, also with special needs, is nine and lives close by. I currently supervise a day program for adults with disabilities. They come to my facility Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. We work on life skills, such as cooking, counting money, learning addresses, math problems, and so much more. We take field trips and outings. We are currently starting to volunteer in the community, helping Meals on Wheels. I am trying to establish a community training program in collaboration with local police and fire departments. Currently, local emergency services only offer online training for the disabled community. Real-life training is mutually beneficial. I brought my gym equipment from my garage to the office for clients to use for exercise. I want to set up an exercise program with military recruits and my people. I bought two keyboards for the client who plays by ear. I use my own money to help the clients and staff. I had some staff affected by the government shutdown, and I personally helped them. People matter. We need to take care of our people. Some of my clients don’t have family. I want to start an adoption program where people in the community can “adopt” a person with a disability and be a friend in the community. I want to start a pet program. I have numerous ideas and dreams to increase the involvement of the disabled community. I have a dream that one day I can take my clients flying and on a vacation. I dream that this group can experience as much of life as possible, rather than being hidden away.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Be kind to everything. People need people, dogs need love, and plants need water. Sometimes, no matter how complicated life gets, I can take a breath and realize how simple it all is. I care. I have talked to many people who don’t. I am going to change that. Be extra kind to people with disabilities. We are often unseen, but we matter too. Remember that everyone has something to contribute. Remember the caretakers: it is a thankless, dirty job, but one of the most rewarding. The staff are not only caretakers, but also family and friends who daily interact and care for people with disabilities. Caretakers matter too. One of my goals in my position as supervisor is to support the caretakers, not just at work, but also in their personal lives. I often use the analogy that I am short, and that in my kitchen, I have tall cabinets I cannot reach. I can use a stepstool to reach the tall cabinets. One small accommodation makes a big difference.
Pricing:
- There is minimal funding for facilities for home life and day programs, and should be more of a priority.
- All of my staff use their own money, already limited, to add meaningful experiences that enrich the lives of the clients
Contact Info:
- Website: mtmacy@alumni.iu.edu
- Other: mtmacy@alumni.iu.edu
