You Can Help Make Dreams Come True

Christmas Past 
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Photo 
Times Leader/alejandro A. Alvarez

Saturday, December 05, 1992 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1A/2A QUICK WORDS: DENNIS DREAMS BOOK 





NEEDS ALARM -- Four-year-old Damien Dennis sits with his mother, Patty, and
boyfriend, John Payne. Damien is hearing impaired and his mother can't afford
some of the equipment needed to take care of him, such as a vibrating smoke
detector that would shake his mattress to wake him up in case of fire. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 *************************************** &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; By MARY CHRIS JAKLEVIC &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Times Leader Staff Writer &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 LAUREL RUN -- A year ago Patty Dennis was making almost $13 an hour finding
gas leaks and repairing appliances for Pennsylvania Gas &amp; Water Co. She had no
worries about supporting herself and her son, Damien. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The single mom never dreamed she'd wind up where she is now: on the welfare
rolls. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I've never had public assistance before so this is a whole new ballgame
for me. I can't afford anything. I don't have a kitchen table right now," she
said, gesturing to the next room in her trailer. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Patty, 28, left the utility in January after 10 years to take care of
4-year-old Damien, who is hearing impaired. She was refused unemployment,
spent her pension, and now subsists on government assistance and child
support. In all, her income has diminished to less than a third of what it
was. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 For Patty, it's difficult to pay for Damien's special needs; batteries for
his hearing aid alone cost $2 a day. One thing she wants for her son but can't
afford is a vibrating smoke detector that would shake his mattress to wake him
up in case of fire. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Damien is being featured in "The Book of Dreams," a series of 11 stories
allowing Times Leader readers to contribute money to help families and
individuals with specific needs during the holidays. This year's goal is
$9,385.01. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 With a hearing impaired child, everything takes a little longer, Patty
said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Even me telling him something like `Turn down the TV.' ... I have to go
show him or tap him on the shoulder," she said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Damien is a good helper and is mentally advanced for his age. "It's just
when he doesn't understand something he gets frustrated and sometimes he acts
out," she said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Patty tries to reward his good bahavior. When Damien jumps on the couch,
she promises him "a big star" to stick on his wall if he sits quietly. Damien
complies. "I hope the star thing keeps on working," she says. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Patty's job left little time for Damien, who stayed with his grandmother
until mom's shift ended, sometimes late in the night. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The state he was in, he didn't know where he was going to wake up. He was
so confused," Patty said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Patty attends Empire Beauty School and plans to work at her mother's salon,
where she could be near her son. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Damien is learning sign language and speech through the Luzerne
Intermediate Unit 18. Some day, his mom hopes, he'll attend mainstream classes
with the help of a microphone that would amplify the teachers' voices for him. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But Damien will always have special needs. Patty has a catalog of items for
the deaf, which includes doorbells that hook up to lights, "but I would rather
something serious, like a fire alarm," she said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "What if I was outside hanging laundry and a fire started and he was in
here sleeping? He would never know."

Boy's Needs Are Loud And Clear 
A Mom's In A Financial Jam 
After Quitting Work To Care For 
Her Hearing-impaired Son 
*************************************** 
Photo 
Times Leader/don Carey

Boy's Needs Are Loud And Clear A Mom's In A Financial Jam After Quitting Work To Care For Her Hearing-impaired Son *************************************** Photo Times Leader/don Carey