Press Releases

Golf Tournament and Student Art Sale to benefit Regional School for the Deaf and Blind

Wednesday, 22 Feb 2012 – The Friends of the Regional School Golf Classic is happening March 3, 2012 at the Spring Hill College Golf Course in Mobile. Registration starts at 7:00am with a Continental Breakfast and there will be a shotgun start at 8:30am. Lunch will be provided by Tony Cachere’s and will include Jambalaya, … Read More

Accounting and Advisory firm supports the Christopher Douglas Hidden Angel Foundation who builds two new MSEs in Baycrest

September 28, 2011 – Accounting and Advisory firm supports the Christopher Douglas Hidden Angel Foundation who builds two new MSEs in Baycrest

RSM Richter Charity Golf Classic raises $160,000

Proceeds will go towards the Christopher Douglas Hidden Angel Foundation Toronto, Ontario June 28, 2011 – On Wednesday June 15th, RSM Richter hosted their 14th annual Charity Golf Classic at Rattlesnake Point Golf Club. The tournament was in support of the Christopher Douglas Hidden Angel Foundation (CDHAF); an organization focused on improving the quality of … Read More

Birmingham center helps people with special needs find calming stimuli in new multisensory room

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — Soothing tubes of bubbling water gradually change colors from blue to white to green. Addie Salamone, 21 months, navigates her way through the white padded room at her own pace, enjoying the lights, soft music and new discoveries, such as a lighted blue egg she cups in her hands. Her parents, Caleb … Read More

Children with disabilities are taking control: first multi sensory environment in Birmingham, thanks to the Christopher Douglas Hidden Angel Foundation

May 10, 2011 Birmingham, Ala. – A trip to the store or the library is never simple for three-year-old Xavier Kurre. The Oak Mountain toddler has cortical vision impairment and autism which makes a “simple” trip out of the home very tense and over stimulating for him. “His emotions are over the top when we … Read More

Making the sensory make sense

The following article was published in SEN Magazine the UK’s leading magazine for special educational needs. Making the sensory make sense

The Christopher Douglas Hidden Angel Foundation announces donation of a Multi Sensory Facility to United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham

Birmingham, Alabama 2 November 2010 – The Christopher Douglas Hidden Angel Foundation (CDHAF) is pleased to announce it will be supporting United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham in the establishment of a Multi Sensory Environment (MSE). CDHAF will design, produce and install the equipment required for the MSE as well as train the UCP staff. … Read More

The Christopher Douglas Hidden Angel Foundation hosts the 8th Annual International Conference on Multi Sensory Environments

September 27, 2010, Birmingham, Alabama The 8th Annual ISNA Conference on Multi Sensory Environments (MSE) will take place in Birmingham, Alabama at the Sheraton Hotel and Convention Center, October 1-3, 2010. Hosted by the Christopher Douglas Hidden Angel Foundation (CDHAF), this is the first time this groundbreaking conference, with presentations by more than 35 international … Read More

George Canyon To Perform At Multi Sensory Environment Conference

On September 30th and October 1st George Canyon will be giving an intimate performance as part of the 8th Annual Conference on Multi Sensory Environments. Canyon who placed 2nd in the second season of USA Network’s popular “Nashville Star” has sold over a quarter of a million albums and has won multiple awards for his … Read More

The Hidden Angel Foundation brings Country Music Artist George Canyon to Give a Special Performance at United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham

Birmingham, Alabama (September 26, 2010) Country Music Artist George Canyon will give a special performance for program participants at United Cerebral Palsy of Greater (UCP) Birmingham on Thursday, September 30 at 11 a.m. The performance will be held at UCP’s LINCPoint facility located at 101 Oslo Circle. This performance is made possible by the Hidden … Read More

The Christopher Douglas Hidden Angel Foundation (CDHAF) was created in honor and recognition of Christopher Douglas Fornes and Joyce Baye. CDHAF enriches the lives, health, and social well-being of people with cognitive, emotional, and physical challenges through the use of our Multi Sensory Environments™ (MSE). Our focus is on the design, development, implementation and education of our Multi Sensory Environments™ with the aim to enable productivity, inclusion, independence, and self-determination. Our approach is based on well-documented studies of neurological cognition and emotional development. We offer advisory and financial support for the establishment of integrated, publicly accessible Multi Sensory facilities and for basic research and … Continue Reading

Evolution of the Legacy of a Hidden Angel

The 2021 New Year continues to bring positive changes within the Christopher Douglas Hidden Angel Foundation (CDHAF).

We are extremely proud of the pioneering role we played many years ago in bringing multi-sensory environments to North America and raising their profile over the last two decades. Today throughout North America, more and more charities are providing funding to organizations wishing to implement these multi-sensory environments for children and adults with special needs. While this decreases our need to fund rooms we are also excited that this will allow us to be more involved in providing guidance and training in the area of MSEs.

Over the years our namesake, Chris has been the driving force behind the numerous initiatives to enrich the lives of individuals with special needs by providing:

• Design and financial support for over 100 MSE rooms

• Intellectual property for the development of a program for premature babies

• Equipment and expertise for the use of MSE with seniors challenged by dementia / alzheimers

• Online training focused on MSE methodology and best use practices

• Donations to support food for special needs children in impoverished areas

• Formation and co-management of an unprecedented program to train first responders in dealing with individuals with special needs

• Developing companion pets through sensory stimulation and life experiences

• Design and construction of the first MSE environment designed for individuals with special needs that incorporates life without limits and nature as the sensory component

• Ongoing support for a playground designed for individuals with special needs

• Provided Multi Sensory Room on Extreme Makeover Home Edition to the Craft Family (Hondo, TX)

The preceding and the following illustrate the multifaceted legacy of an extraordinary young man who, to quote Kubler-Ross – “taught us love is the true meaning of life”.

As we move on from the funding and installing of multi-sensory rooms (as the support from others grows), the foundation will continue to exist as an open knowledge-based organization providing guidance to facilities wishing to implement a multi-sensory environment (MSE) for children and adults with special needs.

The Foundation website will become an informational and training tool to provide research-based methodology and information, including MSE concepts, MSE designs, equipment uses, MSE benefits, and operational training. Organizations looking for funding will be directed to other charitable organizations that support the use of multi-sensory environments in education, recreation, and therapy.

In addition it will provide a free online training program to provide knowledge on best practices and the overall philosophy of MSE based on decades of hands on experience.

The sister organization to CDHAF, Hidden Angel Companion Pets will also be providing information on the benefits of companion pets for children with special needs and best practices in raising a pet to be a natural companion animal. Pets provide therapeutic benefits such as companionship, love, humor, play, exercise, a sense of power and outlets for displacement, projection and nurturance; Talking to animals and the tactile experience of petting animals reduces stress and enhances physical health (including lowering blood pressure and reducing heart rate) and longevity; Animals enhance psychological development, improve social skills, increase independence, and increase self-esteem; Animals can be a source of comfort and contribute to ego strength among children; The human-animal bond supports empathy development, the ability to form and express attachments, and the reaction to grief and loss; and Dogs help increase activity among those with disabilities, prevent childhood obesity, promote recovery after a heart attack, and encourage walking in the elderly.

Looking ahead, those of us committed to Chris foresee many more initiatives reflecting his life and impacting the lives of others.