Manuel Canelas (Manny) was born on August 15, 1990. He was a very sick child. He was deaf and blind, and had hydrocephalus with Dandy Walker cyst (like a water filled balloon the size of a baseball and sits on the brainstem). Since most of Manny's brain was calcified bone he functioned mainly on his brain stem, which was intact. A shunt was placed to relieve the pressure on his brain shortly after birth; the Dandy Walker cyst was shunted sometime thereafter.
Manuel was expected to die within 6 months of birth. Dave and Gail Kelley, having had some experience at foster parenting, decided to welcome Manuel into their home to give him a loving family environment in which to die. Aided by the Kelley's unconditional love and faith, and the support of many caring friends and professionals, Manuel, the interminable hospice patient, celebrated his fourteenth birthday on August 15, 2004. That Manny's extended life (beyond 6 months) seemed due wholely to the love poured into him and although he had very little cognitive abilities, he seemed to know what touch, comfort and pain were. That he had continued to thrive in spite of all his disabilities, is a testament to the power of love in one's life.
After adopting Manny in September of 1992, Dave & Gail began what would become a long journey of discovery, not only for themselves as parents but also as caretakers of a severely disabled and handicapped individual. As Manny got older and bigger, it became exceedingly difficult to make due with the specialized equipment and devices they were given to aid in his care.
The Kelleys soon discovered that they had to alter many pieces of equipment to enable them to perform adequately in different situations. For example Manny's nebulizer, which had to be used on average every four hours to allow him to breathe properly, worked fine if Manny was sitting up (which he couldn't do by himself). As he got older, keeping him in the sitting position became exceedingly difficult, as did putting him on the nebulizer. Dave and Gail finally figured out a way to modify the nebulizer so it could be used when Manny was lying down. Overcoming this and many other device-related obstacles, and knowing that there were others who had similar problems, Dave and Gail decided to dedicate themselves to effectively and efficiently enhance the lives of these Special Children and their caregivers.
David and Gail Kelley are committed, through their compassion and experiences, to take some of the strain off of caregivers, thereby easing the lives of the afflicted at the same time. They have dedicated nearly a decade and a half of their lives to Manny's care; but it's been a labor of love. Their hope is that through Manny's Caring Hands they will be able to help others care for their Special Children with the most technologically advanced and user-friendly equipment and resources possible.
Manny passed away on December 26, 2004, a little more than three months after his 14th birthday. The cause of death was listed as "Neurological Disorder", although his body was just plain worn out from all the suffering he experienced throughout his life. Five priests presided over his funeral mass. The church was filled with family and friends whose lives had been so deeply affected by his presence, and together with the many friends from other countries throughout the world who sent their condolences, vowed their continued support Manny's mission.
Their experience, dedication and desire to put into practice what they profess regarding these special children have resulted in Gail and Dave accepting another foster child into their lives. She was born on October 30, 2005 and joined the Kelley household on November 11. She suffers from hydranencephaly, is blind (but obviously can hear), and had a shunt placed on 23 December. Other than that she is a typical infant, sleeping during the day and up all night.