By: Suzanne Higgs

St. Mary’s truly is a home. When you walk in you feel warmth, and welcome. St. Mary’s Home for Disabled Children is unique organization providing long term pediatric residential care facility that exclusively serves children with severe physical and intellectual disabilities.

Filled with colorful hallways, art projects, and learning St. Mary’s offers a unique experience to any visitor, and they love to give tours. The center features four “neighborhoods” for students that includes a nursing station and classrooms, interior courtyards and a playground with adaptive play equipment, private family rooms, skylights and other features that make it unbelievable.

Earlier this summer I had the opportunity to visit with Regent University during their campaign but we had come when there weren’t many children because summer school had just ended and the regular school year was about to begin. Wanting to really see what St. Mary’s did I went back a few weeks ago when classes were in session.

It was well worth the trip to see the compassion, patience, and love that teachers and staff have with the students. To be a part of one day, one hour will stay with you long after you leave St. Mary’s.

If you would like to visit this one of a kind, state of the art home you can contact United Way of South Hampton Roads or St. Mary’s website.