Comments on: Hissom Memorial Center REVISITED

By: rodney

rodney — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 03:46:25 +0000

hey send it to rodneyday65@yahoo.com please

By: Angela

Angela — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 08:11:48 +0000

would love to see it! anglodundee1@yahoo.com

By: lisa

lisa — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 05:36:28 +0000

thank you very much seth…

By: Lisa

Lisa — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 04:43:34 +0000

Dorothy I just read your statement written about hissom over a year ago.. I knew of hissom. But didnt really know about all the horrible things that went on there.. You make your statement but mentioned nothing about the bad things.. the reality of it is.. hissom started out as an ideal place for people with disabilities. its not that the parents did not want the children. they thought they were doing what was best for them by placing them somewhere where there were more "people like them". I must admit some parents were embarrased by their children and put them there. SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY HISSOM LOST ITS WAY.. PEOPLE BECAME MORE WORRIED ABOUT THEMSELVES AND PAYCHECKS ETC.. THE REALITY IS NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED. YES THEY ARE INTEGRATED IN THE COMMUNITY BUT THIS IS SUCH A CUT THROAT BUSINESS.. IF THE GUARDIAN OF A PARTICULAR PERSON DOES NOT LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE PRETTIER THAN THEM OR YOU DONT GET NERVOUS WHEN THEY COME AROUND THEY WILL HAVE YO REMOVED FROM THE HOME FOR NO REASON OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT THEY DONT LIKE YOU. THESE AGENCIES FIGHT FOR ALL THE CLIENTS BECAUSE THE STATE PAYS UPWARD OF TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS A HEAD FOR "CLASS MEMBERS" A CLASS MEMBER IS SOMEONE WHO WAS EVER AT HISSOM. IF YOU WERE NEVER AT HISSOM GOOD LUCK GETTING SERVICES FROM THE STATE.. REALLY SAD.. BUT THE REALLY SAD PART IS…. THE YOUNGEST CLASS MEMBER IS PROBABLY 35 YEARS OLD WHICH MEANS IN SIXTY YEARS AT MOST. THEY WILL ALL BE DEAD. DISABLED PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS BE BORN.. WHERE WILL THEY GO WHAT WILL THEY DO.. OPEN AN INSTITUTION TO HOUSE THEM.. HISTORY WILL REPEAT ITSELF…

By: charity websites

charity websites — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 17:37:39 +0000

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By: Seth

Seth — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 17:05:02 +0000

For anyone interested in learning more about Hissom, the Oklahoma Developmental Disabilities Council produced a 50 minute documentary on it called "Living in the Freedom World". There is a lot of footage of site and interviews with former residents, parents, and workers. You can stream it for free on Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/19155090

By: Brady

Brady — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 06:48:33 +0000

I would like to say that I have grown up in the neighborhood next to Hissom. It was definitely an eerie place. It has since been torn down and an office complex is being built there.

By: vic

vic — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 06:09:49 +0000

definitely would like to see it.

By: patrick

patrick — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 21:02:51 +0000

Scary

By: guest

guest — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 03:09:36 +0000

the site is completely destroyed there are no buildings left

By: mike

mike — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 20:30:01 +0000

dorothy, my brother was a long time resident of hissom from 1972 until it closed in 1994. I appreciate the effort that you have made in the care of these patients. My mother was quite against the homeward bound lawsuit but i will have to say that since he was placed into group care he has progressed farther than i would have ever imagined.He could not feed himself when he left hissom and now he can perform many of his activities on his own. Of course this is not the fault of Hissom itself but the inability of these types of institutions to care for people with limited funding. Our family could not have endured the difficulties of caring for my brother at home and there were not resources available at this time to assist people to do so. I am glad that hissoms services were available but i am also glad that it closed. I hope society has evolved pastthe need for these types of institutions.

By: Dorothy

Dorothy — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:24:09 +0000

Melissa, I spent 34 years of my life devoted to physically and mentally challenged children/adults. I have precious memories and am a better person for being part of their lives.

I thank my parents for my choice to enter into the field of Special Education. You have chosen to crucify my parents, for their one year at Hissom Memorial. What you don't know, is that my parents were all about group homes and making the handicapped part of society!

My father, before he became interested in children with special needs, was just a country doctor, and literally rode horseback to reach patients. He was often paid with a bushel of apples. My father was DEDICATED to all in need! I'm very sad that you have tried to slander his life's mission.

By: jennifer mc

jennifer mc — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 13:39:45 +0000

jenniferskul@yahoo.com can i see plz! or you should put on youtube.

By: jennifer mc

jennifer mc — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 13:27:20 +0000

I am 27 and have heard story's about this place but nothing to verify. My mom worked here when she was pregnant with me and now that im older she has told me story's about it and non bad. but she worked i the hospital part with the ppl who where actually vegetables and she said she had always heard story's of abuse but never seen it. She was a resident mother and probably a great one because she is the kindest person i have ever met. but she said she worked with ppl who had to go to nursing homes when it closed so it was about the same and her dad worked there a even longer time ago on like cabins 14 or something like that and he said he new of abuse that went on there but it never went on when he was around.

By: William

William — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:39:52 +0000

would love to see the footage, wdonnelly45@hotmail.com

By: tina

tina — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 14:53:35 +0000

Roy. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It is good to know not all was devastating to the patients there. In one of my social work classes we learned about hissom in a positive way. the deinstitutionalization was hailed as a model to other facilities who were releasing patients. I am glad to hear that not all was horrible.