Hospital maintenance worker befriends boy with down syndrome through school program
PRINCETON, Minn. — At Northland Medical Center, the patients aren't the only ones being tended to.
There are 54 patient rooms and bathrooms, and Craig Johnson, a maintenance worker is a busy guy. Still, he recently decided to take on a new assignment.
But now, wherever Craig goes, Wyatt goes too. It's all because of a program where Fairview pairs pros with students of all learning styles. The program is a partnership with Princeton Public Schools.
Craig says he thought he knew what he was getting into.
"I thought it was pretty much cut and dry right off the bat and I show these kids a little bit here, a little bit there," he said.
He quickly learned this mentorship would be a lot.
"The first time I met him and he said, 'I want to turn wrenches.' I was like, oh, okay. This kid wants to turn wrenches, [I thought] what am I gonna do, I've got to come up with different deals," Craig said.
Wyatt, an avid hunter and outdoorsman, was already a handyman.
"I like my job. Make money stuff. Who is you partner you work with here? Me and Craig work harder and smarter," Wyatt said.
In just one morning, the team got in a few reps on the demo wall with a plumbing lesson, then inspected a bathroom on the med surge floor, and then the pair fixed a broken door handle in a sleep study room.
It's a workload that impresses their job coach too.
"It's not just a mentor teaching a student, they're friends. You want to see companies like Fairview step up and be inclusive. It's emotional, Wyatt is going to achieve great things," Jennifer Elton said.
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Craig, with a tear in his eye, says he has a message for the world to know about Wyatt.
"Give him opportunities, give him that option. Not enough people out there who want to give these kind of kids the options. These kids, they want a future too," Craig said. "All you have to do is arm them, they have the brains, they have that capability. But if you be patient, give them time, they'll figure it out."
Wyatt is part of the Onward Transition through Princeton Public Schools.
If you would like to learn more about making a business more accessible to people of all learning styles and physical abilities - there's free grant money available.
