Disabled Taught to Go the Distance : Contrary to stereotypes, many developmentally handicapped adults receive support from residential care homes.

“Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”

--Oath of the Special Olympics

It is a sad fact that many developmentally disabled adults, who often have relied solely on relatives to provide for their needs, eventually outgrow their families’ ability to care for them full time. When that happens, many then move into what often are still referred to simply as “institutions.”

But the word can be misleading, calling to mind an impersonal, sterile setting. And it certainly doesn’t do justice to the genuine support and encouragement that many developmentally disabled adults receive at residential care homes, as well as from the community organizations that work with them.

One look at 55-year-old Special Olympics athlete Juanita Mora is testament to the positive effect of such support.

On May 1, Mora, who at one time was not interested in athletics, competed in the softball throw, 50-meter dash and 100-yard dash at the 25th annual Ventura County Special Olympics held at Ventura High School.

“I saw my brother,” Mora said. “I was running and he was clapping. And I’m so happy I saw my niece. She’s 3 months old. Her name is Monica. I got two ribbons. I won a medal and everything.”

Mora’s brother, Sonny Mora, 53, said he believes his sister’s participation in the Special Olympics is directly attributable to the encouragement she received since moving 10 years ago to the Zachery Nyzinda Residential Care Home in Oxnard.

“She lived at home with us until about 1963 when I went into the Army,” Sonny Mora said. “Then she was admitted to Porterville State Hospital, Agnews State Hospital and three places in Ventura.

“Zina and Nealy are the best thing that has happened to Juanita. Before that, she never did anything at all,” Sonny Mora said.

Zina and Nealy are owner-administrators Zina Zachery and her mother, Nealy Zachery, who supervise the eight developmentally disabled adults, ages 26 to 55, who live at the seven-bedroom house.

“We got her (Juanita) started in sports because we like for everyone to be very active,” Zina Zachery said, noting that Juanita belongs to leagues that play floor hockey, softball, basketball, and track and field.

In addition to sports, residents at the home--sponsored by the Tri-Counties Regional Center--also take classes at the Oxnard Recreation Center and attend bimonthly dances at the Ventura Recreation Center.

The mother-daughter team also works closely with the Assn. for Retarded Citizens (ARC), which provides a day program for developmentally disabled adults.

For Mora, the only female and the oldest of four children in a Latino family from El Rio, coming to the home added a dimension to her life that her family could not provide.

“It took me quite awhile to accept that we can’t treat Juanita like a little girl anymore,” said Sonny Mora of the family’s decision to seek outside care.

Mora proudly showed me her bedroom, pointing out her collection of dolls and stuffed animals. But the place of honor is reserved for her family photo gallery.

“Her family is very supportive and involved,” Zina Zachery said. “They go to every activity she’s in.”

Attending the activities seems to be a remarkable achievement for the family, especially in light of other obligations. Mora’s 75-year-old mother developed dementia, a condition similar to Alzheimer’s disease, and Sonny Mora--with his wife, sister and niece--all have been caring for the mother around the clock by living in two adjoining houses.

Still, family members make certain to find time for Juanita Mora, who has another significant person in her life since moving out. On a recent afternoon, Mora spoke happily of her boyfriend, Kenny, who lives at another residential care facility in Oxnard.

Mora also loves to feed Miss Penny, the residents’ pet pot-bellied pig, which wanders about the house and lives in an outdoor pen next to the pool.

When I telephoned Mora a few days later, she spoke excitedly about the Special Olympics and about her most recent news.

“Sonny is going to take me home for a weekend,” she said.

She soon spoke about other events and achievements.

“I ate all my lunch today,” she said. “ And I make my bed all by myself. And you know, Penny hugged my leg today when I fed her.”