People say that you don’t meet someone by accident, that every single person who walks into your life serves a purpose. No matter if they are with you for a moment, a year, or a lifetime, every person you encounter frames how you see the world. When Clarissa Chapa met David, his life as he knew it, would never be the same.

Clarissa’s journey at Down Home Ranch began in 2018, when she started working as a Direct Support Professional at the Anderson house. She remembers the first time she met David like it was yesterday. He greeted her with a huge, captivating smile that made her feel at home. Over the next few months, she spent a lot of time learning David’s non-verbal cues and needs of mobility. Through this dynamic, a very special bond was born.

David was diagnosed with Dementia only a few short months before Clarissa started working with him. As his needs have changed over the years, Clarissa has adapted right along with him. They have shared many memories along the way. From rescuing rogue turtles, taking Clarissa’s dog Payton for walks, eating tons of Oreo ice cream, and basking in the sunlight on the back porch, these two have been inseparable.

The grim reality for people with Dementia is that life slowly gets darker, scarier, and more confusing, but one thing that has remained constant for David is Clarissa. She sees his struggles and finds solutions, she embraces the challenges with open arms, and gives him a hand to hold when the day is over. Their bond is one many of us would be lucky to find in a lifetime and we will be forever thankful that their paths led to one other.