Dedications

“To date The Christopher Douglas Hidden Angel Foundation, USA and Canada, has funded and built over 80 Multi Sensory Environments from Miami, Florida to Portland, Oregon and from Bay of Islands, Newfoundland to Calgary, Alberta.”

Some of the Multi Sensory Environments we have funded and built include the following locations:

Lake Asbury Jr. High
Green Cove Springs, FL USA
Dedicated a Multi Sensory Room
Opened: 2006
View Pictures

Hospital Rivier-des-Prairies
Montreal, QB Canada
Donation of Equipment for the Teddy Bear Room
Opened: 2006

Jewel C. Wietzel Education Center
San Antonio, TX USA
Donation of Multi Sensory Equipment, 2006
Opened: 2006

Miami Cerebral Palsy Residential Center
Miami, FL USA
Donation of a gait trainer/walker
Opened: 2006

Hondo, Texas Special Education
Hondo, TX USA
Donation of Multi Sensory Equipment
Opened: 2006

Extreme Makeover Home Edition
Hondo, TX USA (Craft Family)
Dedicated a Multi Sensory Room
Opened: 2006

Extreme Makeover Home Edition
Austin, TX USA (O’Donnell Family)
Donated MSE equipment including a interactive tactile wall panel
Opened: 2006

St. John’s Nursing Center
Ft. Lauderdale, FL USA
Dedicated a Multi Sensory Environment
Opened: 2006

Miami Jewish Home and Hospital
Miami, FL USA
Provided Design and installation expertise
Opened: 2007

Augusta Evans Special School
Mobile, AL USA
Dedicating a Multi Sensory Environment
Opened: 2007
View Pictures

Children’s Home RTF
Chenango Forks, NY USA
Opened: 2007
View Pictures

West Montreal Centre de Readaptation
Lachine, QB Canada
Providing a 2 day MSE training workshop for staff and enablers
Opened: 2007

Southeastern Elementary School
Rome, GA USA
Opened: 2008

A Society for Treatment of Autism
Calgary, AB Canada
Opened: 2008
View Pictures

Baycrest Hospital
Toronto, ON Canada
Opened: 2011

MCFI – Milwaukee Center of Independence
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Opened: 2012

Southwest Regional School for the Deaf And Blind
Mobile, AL, USA
Opened: 2011

William E. Burkett Center – Jefferson County School
Birmingham, AL, USA
Opened: 2012

Easter Seals: UCP North Carolina and Virginia
Glen Allen, VA USA
Opened: 2013

Becker County Developmental Achievement Center
Detroit Lakes, MN, USA
Opened: 2013

DayStar for Medically Fragile Children
Rochester, NY, USA
Opened: 2015

Anne Grady Center
Holland, OH USA
Opened: 2009

Portage Collegiate Institute
Portage La Prairie, MB Canada
Opened: 2009

Centre de Readaptation
Montreal, QB Canada
Opened: 2009

Alternative Day Programs – Centre de Readaptation
Kirkland, QB Canada
Opened: 2009

Central Wisconsin Center
Madison, WI USA
Opened: 2009

Miami Jewish Home and Hospital-#2
Miami, FL USA
Opened: 2009

Southern Alberta Child and Youth Health -FLAMES House
Calgary, AB Canada
Opened: 2009

Daytime Enrichment Activities Recreation
Portland, OR USA
Opened: 2010

Cleveland, Tennessee Jr. High
Cleveland, TN USA
Opened: 2010

Scarborough Village Alternative School
Toronto, Ontario Canada
Opened: 2010

Anne Grady Center Pediatric
Toledo, OH USA
Opened: 2010

AHRC – Seiff Educare
Boemia, NY USA
Opened: 2010

United Cerabal Palsey – Birmingham
Birmingham, AL USA
Opened: 2011

St. Peter’s Academy
Benoit’s Cover, Bay of Islands, NL Canada
Opened: 2010

Miami Lakes Therapy Center
Miami Lakes, Florida USA
Opened: 2010

EGF Polk County DAC
East Grand Forks, MI USA
Opened: 2011

Colisano Children’s Hospital
Syracuse, NY USA
Opened: 2011

Baycrest Apotex
Toronto, ON Canada
Opened: 2011

M.O.R.G.A.N. Project
Melbourne Beach, Florida USA
Opened: 2011

TLC – The Treatment and Learning Center
Rockville, Maryland USA
Opened: 2012

Reena Foundation
Toronto, ON, Canada
Opened: 2011

Baggley Elementry
Latrobe, PA, USA
Opened: 2012

Allegany ARC
Wellsville, NY, USA
Opened: 2013

ARC Huntsville
Huntsville, AL, USA
Opened: 2013

Evergreen at St. Martin’s
Birmingham, AL, USA
Opened: 2016

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.

Dedications

Christopher Douglas Hidden Angel Foundation

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