Tough As A Mother
Yvonne Streit, the founder of Brookwood made us promise that we wouldn’t give her any credit for the creation of Brookwood, but what I can give her credit for is being one fierce, loving and inspiring mother.
She created Brookwood at a time when nothing else like it existed and tirelessly fought to support her daughter Vicki, who doctors said should be put away or she would ruin their family.
Her thinking was revolutionary at the time. In the 1950s the majority of people did not understand her vision, but she was steadfast in her belief that there was a better life for her daughter and others like her.
She traveled the country in search of answers for nearly a decade until finding Dr. Newell Kephart, professor of psychology at Purdue University. At this time Yvonne was growing weary in her quest, but Dr. Kephart encouraged her to keep fighting for Vicki.
Where many had been unable to get Vicki to respond at all, Dr. Kephart had Vicki sit on a trampoline and by gently bouncing her, it generated a response. The first response they had seen since Vicki’s illness 7 years prior.
This small spark reinvigorated the Streit family and led them down a path to not only make big changes in Vicki’s life, but also the lives of others.
I’ll save the rest of the story for the film, but spoiler alert, Vicki did not go on to ruin the family and Yvonne’s vision to help others like her was not as crazy as some thought at the time.
To all of the other families who have opened their homes to us and passionately shared their stories, we cannot put into words the gratitude we have for you. From the advocacy work you do on behalf of your children, to the unrelenting love and determination you show each and everyday, you all have impacted me more than I could ever express.
We cannot wait to share their stories with you on the big screen soon!
Ariel and the Chispa House team