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Silver Bow D.D. provides and promotes
choices and services that increase the
health, safety, and independence of individuals with
developmental disabilities.
[music]
[music]
Enid Reece: How can we help you live in a situation
you're living in, you know how can we help you
in your own home, in the community,
with transportation, all of those things.
That's part of Res Hab because it's learning how
to get out and about in your community.
Todd ***: And anybody with Residential Hab
has that ability to pick goals to get even
where Ron started from.
In Ron's case, he's always been pushing
the envelope to be very independent.
We encourage that immensely.
Nancy Zigrang: Ron wanted to be out on his own. He
lived in a group home and we were approached to
take him in our program so that's what we did.
He signed up for our program and I did independent living.
Ron Kichline: I lived in Bozeman. In a group home and I
didn't like it there. They put me in a Butte group home.
Then Nancy came on and got me out of there cuz I
didn't like that group home. I wish I lived somewhere else.
Nancy Zigrang: So then, they were looking and wanting a house.
The three of us went to classes on how to buy a house.
And when they got the house, they had to help build it,
they both pitched in and did a lot of things,
and it's beautiful.
Amie Kichline: We live in a Habitat for Humanity house
that my dad, me, and Ron built together. I mean, it was difficult
sometimes.
[car drives by] [music]
Todd ***: Ron, when he first came, prior to even me being with
Silver Bow D.D., made a list of major accomplishments that
he wanted to see.
Nancy Zigrang: Kind of talking back and forth, and I said,
"What do you want to do?" and he says,
"Well, I want to do... I want to handle my own money,
I want to have a job, I want to drive a car,"
And he said, "Eventually, I'd like to
get married."
Ron Kichline: Me and Nancy go to groc shopping at-where Amie works.
And she packed our groceries every single time I'm there.
Amie Kichline: Nancy is the one that asked my dad to see
if I would go and do things with Ron.
Ron Kichline: One day, I'm home-I was home by myself. I stay home, watch T.V., not
doing anything, and she asks me "go out with Amie?"
Amie Kichline: Yes, I'd go out and do things with Ron.
First day we hooked up, we went to the movie, and we were hooked for life.
Ron Kichline: I asked her marriage me and she did.
Nancy Zigrang: They've been married, I don't know,
12 or 13 years, and have done very, very well.
Amie Kichline: I love my husband very much.
[Ron laughing]
[Music]
Todd ***: Ron was a stellar athlete. I mean,
Ron excelled at alpine skiing, still bowls,
those are two things that he's always enjoyed doing and honed
his skills so well Special Olympics involvement
was something he was like, "you know, I don't really need
to do this within Special Olympics. I do this all the time on my own."
You know, Ron was pretty much telling us he was quitting. We were like,
"Before you make that decision, do you realize that there is potential
growth within Special Olympics the program?" So he was interested in that.
Ron went to leadership training and got certified to be an
athlete-coach.
Enid Reece: The first times I really worked with Ron was when
we went to coaching clinic in Great Falls because that was one of his goals, was
not only to be an athlete in Special Olympics, but also to be a coach.
Ron Kichline: So I decided I didn't want to be an athlete anymore,
I want to be a coach. We had to take coach class.
They teach you how to do right way with the clients and same thing skiing.
Anything happen, we know what to do. And I've been coaching about three years.
It's basketball, skiing, and sometimes summer games, and bowling.
Todd ***: This year, Silver Bow D.D. took three teams, Ron was the coach,
they took gold at the state level.
Ron Kichline: They work hard at practice and they went out there
running, defense, everything. I'm very proud of my athletes.
Todd ***: We used his dream of being independent, and his
always telling us that, to keep our eyes and ears open,
for opportunities that he might not know about
to help him achieve even more independence than he
might even be aware that he's capable of.
He's getting to the point where I think he's looking back at
his life and going, "I'm achieving this stuff. I'm kind
of where I thought I might be when I was 45 years old."
Nancy Zigrang: I'm sure he has things still he wants to do, but
I mean, to me, I sit back and look in awe... because of
what he's done and where he's come from.
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[credits]