"My heart feels very proud, very proud," said Debra Heaster, whose son Daniel lived at the facility for more than a decade before he died at age 25 last year.
Home of the Innocents, a Louisville nonprofit with nearly 150 years of service to families, provides nursing care and support for children with physical and developmental disabilities.
"My son was so special not just to me but he touched so many lives," Heaster said.
Currently, the facility has 76 beds dedicated to complex medical care. When the expansion is complete, it will grow to 126 beds.
"We are so excited that, with the creation of this facility, we get to rewrite that," President and CEO Paul Robinson said. "They get to stay with us for the rest of their lives."
Previously, residents aged out of services at 21. Many families struggled to find appropriate care afterward, with some young adults placed in nursing homes or other facilities ill-equipped for their needs.
"About 40% of our residents pass away within 18 months of discharge from us," Robinson said.
Heaster was among several parents who advocated for additional funding, writing letters to the Kentucky General Assembly. The state approved $30 million toward the expansion.
"I am just grateful for everyone who had a hand in getting the state to help us," Heaster said.
The organization has also received private donations, including $225,000 raised last month during WDRB’s Jude’s Jingle Tree fundraiser.
Construction on the new phase of Home of the Innocents is expected to be completed in about two years.
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