07/16/2026
Pinecrest families are strong advocates who work every day to ensure their loved ones receive the care, dignity, and support they deserve.
This is a somewhat lengthy post, but please read. Lana's feelings are what many families have felt once their loved one finally receives the services they need, and see their loved one finally have a safe, joyfilled life! Thanks Lana for sharing
Here's her post:
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There are moments in life when "thank you" simply doesn't seem like enough.
Almost a year ago, our family was living through one of the darkest chapters of our lives.
When my brother, Dale, finally made it to Pinecrest Supports and Services Center, he was critically ill. His condition had deteriorated so severely that he was immediately transferred to a hospital burn unit, where he remained for two weeks. Watching someone you love go from a happy, walking, talking man to someone who was too weak to walk, too weak to speak, and too weak to do anything but lie in bed is something I will never forget.
From our family's perspective, the neglect he experienced before arriving at Pinecrest robbed him of his dignity, his strength, and nearly his life. He had lost an alarming amount of weight, developed a severe scalp infection, and had become so desperate that he resorted to hurting himself because he couldn't communicate what was happening. No family should ever have to witness someone they love in that condition.
Today, I want to share something much different.
Dale is walking again.
He's eating with a healthy appetite.
His color has returned.
His strength is coming back.
Most importantly...
**He's happy again.**
He loves his home at Pinecrest, and every time we visit, we see the difference that compassionate, dedicated caregivers can make. They work with him every single day, encouraging him, helping him regain his independence, and treating him with the dignity and kindness every human being deserves. They don't just do a job—they truly care, and it shows.
I also want to publicly thank Representative Rhonda Butler.
Representative Butler recognized how desperately sick Dale was and fought to help get him into Pinecrest, where she believed he belonged. I truly believe her determination helped save my brother's life. I cannot imagine where Dale would be today had she not stepped in, and I will always be grateful for her compassion and advocacy.
Representative Butler's commitment to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities is deeply personal. Her advocacy was inspired by her beloved son, Derek Scott, who passed away in December 2025 at the age of 38. She continues to honor his memory by fighting for vulnerable citizens throughout Louisiana. As Vice Chair of the House Health and Welfare Committee, a member of the Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee, and through her work on other legislative committees, she has made supporting individuals with disabilities and their families one of her life's missions.
I also want to thank Nancy Brown, Administrator of Pinecrest Developmental Supports and Services Center. Nancy's compassion is deeply personal. As someone whose own family has been touched by intellectual and developmental disabilities, she understands not only the administrative responsibilities of leading Pinecrest, but also the hopes and fears families carry every day. That understanding shines through in the culture of care she has helped foster.
Before Dale was admitted, I carried many of the same fears that countless Louisiana families have carried for years. I'd heard the stories about Pinecrest and believed it was the last place I wanted my brother to go.
I couldn't have been more wrong.
Since Dale arrived, I've spoken with many other families who have loved ones living at Pinecrest. Over and over, I hear the same thing—that the facility has changed dramatically under Nancy Brown's leadership during the past three years.
What I have personally witnessed is a place where people are treated with compassion, respect, patience, and genuine care. I have watched dedicated employees restore my brother's health, his confidence, and his joy. That doesn't happen by accident. It happens because leadership sets the standard, and the people working there embrace that mission every day.
Dale has been part of Louisiana's developmental disability system since he was just 13 years old. We've experienced wonderful programs, heartbreaking disappointments, and everything in between. Years ago, the Peltier-Lawless Developmental Center in Thibodaux gave him the kind of loving, structured environment every family hopes for. When those services disappeared and care shifted toward private providers, our family believed the promises that things would be even better.
Sadly, that was not our experience.
Instead, we watched Dale lose opportunities, lose independence, lose friendships, and eventually lose his health. It is a journey that no family should ever have to endure.
If there is one thing I hope families take away from our story, it is this:
Please stay involved. Visit often. Ask questions. Speak up. If your loved one lives in a nursing home or residential facility—especially one far from family—your presence matters more than you know.
Today, though, my heart is full of hope.
Hope because my brother is alive.
Hope because he is laughing again.
Hope because he is walking again.
Hope because there are extraordinary people like Representative Rhonda Butler, Nancy Brown, and the incredible staff at Pinecrest who have dedicated their lives to caring for people like my brother.
You didn't just improve Dale's quality of life.
You gave him his life back.
From the bottom of our hearts...
Thank you. ❤️
There are two more people I simply cannot leave out.
To Casey Henry...
From the moment Casey heard about Dale, she made it her mission to help our family. She reached out to me, encouraged me, answered my endless questions, patiently listened to my fears, and gently helped me see Pinecrest for the wonderful place it truly is today.
She never gave up on us.
Her kindness, compassion, patience, and unwavering support carried me through one of the hardest seasons of my life.
The beautiful part of our story is that Casey and I had never actually met before all of this. Yet our parents and grandparents shared a friendship that went back many years. Life took us in different directions, and time created distance, but somehow God had another plan. Through Casey's daughter, Katie and my brother Dale, our paths crossed at exactly the right moment.
Now it feels as though we've known each other forever.
I gained so much more than someone who answered my questions—I gained a lifelong friend, and I gained another family. For that, I will always be grateful.
To Mr. Terry LaFleur...
Thank you for your unwavering friendship, your encouragement, and your tireless advocacy as President of the Pinecrest Parents Association. You have dedicated your life to improving the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and to supporting families like mine.
My heart especially aches for you this week after the heartbreaking loss of your precious daughter, Jamie.
No parent should ever have to endure such unimaginable pain.
Yet even in the midst of your grief, you shared something with me yesterday that I will never forget. You told me that your love for your daughter and the passion she inspired in you will continue through your work in the Pinecrest community—that you will keep advocating, serving, and fighting for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in her honor.
That kind of strength and selflessness is extraordinary.
Please know that our family is praying for you, grieving with you, and holding you close in our hearts.
Finally, I want to thank the incredible people I've met through VOR (Voice of Reason), a national organization dedicated to protecting the human rights of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and advocating for high-quality care.
When I first began this journey, I felt alone.
Today, I no longer do.
What I have found is an entire community of people whose hearts are devoted to protecting our most vulnerable citizens. They have welcomed me with open arms, shared their wisdom, encouraged me through difficult days, celebrated Dale's victories, and reminded me that there are still people willing to stand up for those who cannot always stand up for themselves.
Some people come into your life for a reason.
Rhonda Butler. Nancy Brown. Casey Henry. Terry LaFleur. The incredible staff at Pinecrest. My VOR family. And the many families I've met along the way.
Each of you has reminded me that hope still exists.
What began as one of the darkest chapters of our lives has led us to an extraordinary community built on compassion, dignity, advocacy, and love.
Our family will never forget the people who helped save Dale's life.
We are forever grateful to call you our friends—and our family.
