Our son Danny has Autism and is thirty years old. He has been a patient of the Lee Specialty Clinic for ten years. Prior to becoming a patient at the clinic, Danny had to be given general anesthesia for all dental procedures, including a simple cleaning. These procedures were very frightening and uncomfortable for him, and came with the inherent risks associated with general anesthesia. This also meant that he could only have dental cleanings once a year. During his first visit at the clinic (which was supposed to be just a visit to become comfortable with the staff and equipment), Danny had a full cleaning. When the staff member told me that his teeth had been cleaned during that thirty minutes, I cried. Danny had also never had blood drawn before becoming a patient at the Lee Clinic because it had not yet been absolutely necessary. He is now comfortable with having blood drawn, which revealed a few years ago that he has high cholesterol. He now takes medication to control it. Without the clinic’s intervention, we probably would not have known about this condition, and it would likely have led to serious complications in the future. The Lee Specialty Clinic staff do not perform magic, but it certainly feels like it to us. They have created a safe space for individuals with disabilities in which they are treated with the same respect as any other patient would want, and they are included in their care in ways that are comfortable for them. This type of care simply is not available anywhere else because most providers are not trained or required to care for individuals with disabilities that cause communication deficits and behavioral challenges. We ask that those government officials and legislators who have the ability to restore funding to the clinic consider what type of care they would want for their own loved ones if they were in our positions because, someday, they could be.
