A good decision, 60 years in the making

Andrea Cason had no idea how important a decision made 60 years ago would be to her.

Then her granddaughter, Sabrina, was born mentally retarded.

For eight years, Andrea and Sabrina's mother, Danielle, worked to care for her, but as she grew the task became increasingly difficult.

"She was getting too heavy for me to lift and I was afraid I was going to drop her. Then an opening came at just the right time to get her in here," Andrea Cason said.

The opening was in the Eagle Valley Children's Home, a private nonprofit intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded.

The home was founded 60 years ago after the Fritsch family purchased the land and opened the center to 17 families. In the 1970s, the home became a certified Medicaid provider and shrunk to 15 clients.

In the 1980s the center began a respite program, sending workers into the community to assist families choosing to keep handicapped family members at home. Currently 64 families are served by the program.

Because of several land sales, Eagle Valley was able to construct a new building on its original site in 2004 and expanded to 18 clients.

Saturday, the staff of Eagle Valley held a celebration in honor of the 60th anniversary of the center.

"Nothing like 60 years to prove it was a good idea," said Pamela Smith, executive director. "Our board of directors wants to continue to expand to more clients in a residential setting and serve more people with our respite care program."

Sabrina has spent the last four years at the Eagle Valley Children's Home, where she enjoys loud music, especially Metallica, and playing the tambourine.

"These people are so good with the kids. We are so lucky to have something this wonderful in the community," Andrea said. "They get to do so much and are so well taken care of."

Smith said the biggest problems the home faces are the lack of information and funding concerns.

"Even though we have been here for 60 years, many people still don't know where we are," Smith said. "Our biggest obstacle is the fragile nature of Medicaid funding."

But Saturday was a day for celebration of a good decision made six decades ago.

"We just wanted to celebrate and invite the community," Smith said. "Since it started we have grown and stayed stable."

• Contact reporter Jarid Shipley at jshipley@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.