Today we’d like to introduce you to Deborah Spencer.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Deborah. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
In 1995 we were blessed to conceive our second child after 11 1/2 years. We received some heart-wrenching news during our first trimester that our little bundle of joy would have webbed hands, cub feet, cleft palate, heart, kidney and lung issue and it would highly unlikely that she would be normal. It was strongly suggested that we terminate the pregnancy. But our strong faith would not allow us to abort.
Well… Aug 11, 1996, Dominique was born with 10 fingers, 10 toes and perfect lips. All her organ were fine. She was beautiful and we loved her so. She did walk and sit up late but we were told she just had a global delay. She began talking but shortly began to regress in her language. After numerous doctor appointments and various opinions, Dominique was diagnosed with Autism and mental retardation( now known as IDD, intellectual developmental disabilities).
Our lives changed forever. Our circle to some degree changed as well. But we were determined to do what was necessary for her. We had a plethora of services available to us, free of charge. Life was a difficult juggle act. I was in Management in Corporate America and my husband was in the U.S Navy. My son was very active in school, sports and the community. I began suffering from panic attacks and anxiety. Life did not get easier, but we got stronger.
At this time of our lives, we were living in San Diego. An opportunity was presented for us to be relocated to Texas. My husband is from Dallas and he always wanted to move back home. So we jumped on this opportunity. Little did we know that the services for children and adults with autism and other disabilities were very lacking in the State of Texas. The average wait for Services here is about 15 years. So if you don’t have great insurance benefits and deep monetary pockets, your child may go without necessary services vital to the development of your child. This greatly impacts the entire family.
The divorce rate amongst individuals with children with disabilities is even higher than the national average. It had become painful for me to watch so many families suffering in silence and watching the world around them operate as though they no longer mattered. Even though, I had a full plate of life’s challenges, if not me then who would championed this cause for so many. So about 2 years ago I launched a nonprofit, Dominique Cares to aide families. Shortly after the launch, I retired after 31 years in Corporate to run the nonprofit full time. There are no paid staff, we are all volunteers.
The monies raised less minor operating cost go directly to families in need of services. I have no regrets even though this has been a challenging task, I know I am called to this journey. It is my passion to help others and I truly want them to see there is life after the diagnosis.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has not been smooth a road but I knew this when I accepted the challenge. The struggle for me is the lack of monetary resources to assist all of the families in need. The struggle is having to turn people away due to limited funds. There are also times when there is a lack of adequate volunteers. We have people who truly desire to help but some of them are already overextended.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We provide resources and services thru partnerships and scholarships. We help with financial assistance to provide the necessary services. What is different about our organization is that we provide support to the entire family. We also provide parent training, advocacy and healthy support groups. We give back to the community as well. We also offer a valuable Resource Fair free of charge every year with a plethora of information. This empowers parents, professionals and caregivers to gain valuable knowledge and services so that they can be better advocates for their loved ones and clients.
We are proud of our many accomplishments in such a short period of time. Last year we received an award from the Collin County chamber as Nonprofit of the year.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Yes, I feel this is a great place for businesses such as this because there is a great need for services. I would welcome individuals to start here. We can never have enough available resources. We need to focus on collaboration and partnership in order to aid the communities in which we reside.
Contact Info:
- Address: 7801 Alma Dr. Ste 105-107 Plano Tx
- Website: www.dominiquecares.com
- Phone: 8553668946
- Email: deborah@dominiquecares.com
- Instagram: @dominiquecares1
- Facebook: Dominique CARES1
- Twitter: @dominiquecares1
Image Credit:
Gort Photography, Kauwuane Burton Photography
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