Meet Carl

Unstoppable

For Carl, from California, video games are his life. Fortnite is his favorite and he’s absolutely psyched about the new season. He plays online with his friends all the time. Sounds like a typical 21-year-old guy, right? If he had his way, he’d be a streamer making lots of money. 

It’s good to have goals. And Carl has achieved quite a few in his young life. 

Carl, who has autism, lives with his maternal grandmother, who has taken on the role of supporting him as his mother also has a disability. They have a very strong bond. Sadly, she has macular degeneration, which is incurable and will cause her to lose her vision. She will no longer be able to drive or meet Carl’s needs. 

With that reality in mind, she sought out AbleLight to transition him to eventual full-time support that would provide routine and help him gain skills to be more independent

Right away, AbleLight established rapport with Carl, helping him do tasks like laundry, shopping and meal prep. Grandma couldn’t be more thankful. 

Carl is finishing up his diploma and hopes to attend Saddleback Community College. Beyond being an online gaming sensation someday, he also aspires to be an EMT. He’s athletic and likes to play basketball—which is perfect, as he’s really tall. He also loves animals and has fond memories of his dog. He hopes to have another someday. 

Since both of Carl’s grandfathers were veterans, it’s no surprise he’s very patriotic. He has their flags in his room, knows everything about the etiquette of flag folding and will gladly share that with you.  And most importantly, Carl is relentless in his pursuit of personal independence, and with help from AbleLight, he is well on his way.

Your gift matters

Three men with developmental disabilities posing

A gift today can transform the lives of people with developmental disabilities in some of these powerful and meaningful ways –

  • A young adult who gets to go to college for the first time through our AbleLight College programs
  • An individual is welcomed into a new safe and loving home and doesn’t risk homelessness or living in an unsafe environment
  • Quality care is delivered by a care professional to support an individual with complex needs
  • An individual gets the assistive technology device they need to independently manage their medications and improve their quality of life
  • A person is able to participate in faith and worship during the most challenging of times

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