A Pattern of Love, Devotion and Generosity

ELAINE AND KEN BLEILER ONLY HAVE ONE BIOLOGICAL DAUGHTER, but their family includes seven others who call the Bleiler Caring Cottage home. Elaine’s devotion to giving her daughter the best opportunities in life has provided the chance for others with developmental disabilities to have a place of their own and for their families to enjoy peace of mind.

Elaine is accustomed to hard work. Her father worked three jobs to put her through college. She chose a teaching career, as the options for women at the time were limited. After marrying Ken, graduating from college and spending time in Germany while Ken served in the U.S. Army, she taught first and second grades. She became pregnant with Debbie and spent 18 months at home before returning to work as a substitute teacher.

As Debbie grew, Elaine noticed she crawled using her arms rather than her hands and wasn’t able to stand long. When she started walking, she’d make it three or four steps and then fall, get up and fall again, repeatedly. She also wasn’t talking much.

“We tried to encourage her as best we could,” Elaine said.

whose son was experiencing similar issues, Elaine made an appointment at the Neurological Institute Clinic for Children in Philadelphia with Dr. Eugene Spitz when Debbie was 4 years old. He was one of the top 10 brain surgeons in the country, and he determined Debbie’s brain was injured or damaged at some point during her birth. One of his first suggestions was to implement a program called homolateral patterning.

Homolateral patterning consists of turning an individual’s head to one side while flexing the arm and leg of that side and extending the arm

and leg of the opposite side. It is believed these exercises allow for free movement of electrical impulses and information between the right and left hemispheres of the brain, essentially stimulating cells which might otherwise be inactive.

For the Bleilers, this meant each day for the next few years would be broken up into minutes spent doing exercises, monitoring what Debbie ate and undergoing brain surgery. Elaine put her teaching career aside.

This couldn’t be done by Elaine alone. She recruited 42 friends and neighbors

to take turns helping. She always held Debbie’s head, while the others moved her arms and legs. After five minutes of stretching, Debbie had to crawl through a handmade crawl box which had clothesline across it to keep her low. Then it was back to stretching.

Elaine spent every waking hour, from morning until night, doing this for several years. Ken worked full-time at GE Space, and he helped on the weekends. In 1968, at age 6, Debbie underwent brain surgery to have an inch of her skull removed. There was a chance following the surgery that she would be in a coma for weeks, but as she was wheeled out of the operating room, Debbie yelled, “Hi, Mom!” to the relief of both her parents. Her speech improved from that day forward.

“I was blessed,” Elaine said. “I met Dr. Spitz, and it was one miracle after another.”

Dr. Spitz eventually closed his practice, but not before telling Debbie, “I cannot believe what a wonderful young lady you’ve become.”

His expertise, combined with her parents’ daily dedication (and that of volunteers) and a few unexplained occurrences, like when she no longer needed to wear glasses, helped Debbie excel. With Elaine’s persistence and guidance, she learned to write – something her teachers said she’d never be able to do – and has grown into a capable and spirited woman.

“It’s amazing as I look back,” Elaine said. “I was naïve. I didn’t know what to expect. I did what I was told to do and didn’t balk at anything.”

Open Hands and Hearts

Knowing Debbie would require some assistance for the rest of her life, Elaine Debbie with her house mates (l-r): Joe, Howard, Don, Beth, Scotty, Jeanne Marie and Holly (front).

and Ken found a solution that would benefit them and countless other families who have loved ones with intellectual developmental disabilities. Ken is a longtime Mason, and they knew the Masonic fraternity would be a good place to turn for help.

Through the generosity of the Bleilers and the support of Masonic Village staff and Pennsylvania Freemasons, the Bleiler Caring Cottage opened in 1998 at the Masonic Village at Elizabethtown. It was the only inhouse, respite care facility for adults with developmental disabilities in Lancaster County. To provide continuity for the residents living at the cottage, the respite care program was discontinued in 2003, and the eight individuals living there became permanent residents.

Debbie and her house mates each have his or her own bedroom in the cottage high on a hill overlooking Lancaster County. They spend their days working full-time or part-time jobs or participating in the Adult Daily Living Center (also located on campus), and often eat dinner together, attend special events like the Night to Shine prom each year and travel. Staff provide 24-hour support. Despite having a teaching career, Elaine always felt she was destined to be a designer. Wanting to continue to provide the best opportunities for Debbie, and all the residents of the Bleiler Caring Cottage, she combined her compassion with her creativity and began making angel pins. She sells the pins at craft shows, yard sales, festivals and among family and friends. She even formed a small business called Creations by Open Hands. All the proceeds help supply the Bleiler Caring Cottage with everything from furniture to trips to a new van.

“I have a lot to be thankful for,” Elaine said. “I could be creative, which enabled me to do all I’ve done to support the cottage.”

As for Debbie, she is thriving at the Bleiler Caring Cottage. She works at the local Goodwill and volunteers with her father at Masonic Village. While Elaine isn’t spending nearly as much time with her as she did when Debbie was a young child, her and Ken’s cottage is just a short walk from Debbie’s.

“I’m proud of who she has become,” Elaine said.