When friends move away, it can be challenging to stay in touch. Former employee Amanda (Aldrich) Vibbart, is now residing in California. From the moment that Amanda became engaged, Danielle and I knew that Tyler had to get to the wedding since they were close friends. Unsure if he could navigate an airplane and transfer into the seat, we considered other options such as converting a bus and driving. Sarah Carlson came across an opportunity for him to trial getting onto a plane through the Wings for All program in Minot, ND and BOOM! we knew the sky was the limit! Last September, Tyler Gress, John Vaughn, Danielle Salo and I headed to the Sunshine state. The trip included attending Amanda's wedding as well as visiting with 4 other past employees! We rented an Airbnb so we could stay near the beach and we spent a day in the sand, basking in the beautiful California sun. It feels good to reminisce as we cannot currently travel due to COVID-19. We look forward to future adventures! -Kayla Weber
A Letter from Amanda:
Having Tyler and John at my wedding was one of the biggest highlights of the entire day! Although it’s been over 5 years since I worked with both of them at ABLE, it felt like no time at all had passed. Tyler and I would often discuss the possibility of him visiting me in California after I moved. It seemed like a distant dream as there were many challenges Tyler would need to overcome in order to travel by airplane. If there’s one thing Tyler has proven again and again, it’s that he is up for the challenge. (He loves proving people wrong with a smile on his face). Some of the most precious memories from my wedding were seeing my family meeting Tyler and some of my long time best friends jamming out with John on the dance floor. The staff at ABLE are amazing for working so hard to make the trip a reality. Their endless dedication in assisting Tyler and John to prepare was so appreciated. It doesn’t take a special person to work with people who have disabilities, but they have proven again and again that they are indeed special people. I miss John and Tyler every day and feel so incredibly blessed that they were part of the most important day of my life! Thank you for supporting people in such meaningful and impactful ways. -Amanda
