In 2002, AJ Gahagan graduated from high school. Amber and Jeff Gahagan, AJ's adoptive parents, were very proud. But, they were also apprehensive. You see, AJ has intellectual and physical disabilities, largely the result of fetal alcohol syndrome and the severe abuse he suffered at the hands of his biological mother and father. So, like many parents of young adults with disabilities, the Gahagans faced a tough question... What next? Without school, AJ had nothing to do and nowhere to go every day. Now that he had aged out of the children's system of care, the Gahagan's had no support services – or options that were affordable. So, it seemed they had two choices: keep him at home and go it alone – which they tried until the day AJ, out of curiosity, conducted an experiment to see how long different objects took to burn – or find residential placement for their son. "We felt we'd failed," said Amber. We felt that if we put AJ in a facility, we were going backwards. He would lose his home, his family, and all he had accomplished. We were devastated." Then the Gahagans found OHI. "From the start, we felt OHI's mission was the same as ours," says Amber. "Though AJ would live in a group home, it wasn't like other residential facilities. OHI offered AJ a place that would not only keep him safe, but that would help him learn the skills he needs to live more independently – to become a productive adult." Today, thanks to OHI, AJ lives with two other young men about his age – and with similar challenges – in a bright, airy Bangor home supervised by OHI staff. He's working four days a week at Phoenix Industries breaking down boxes and putting labels on wine bottles. With the help of OHI staff, he's learning to express the anger he still feels toward his biological parents verbally, rather than giving in to explosive outbursts. And he's learning important life skills – he plans meals, does the grocery shopping, and cooks for everyone in the house twice a week. In between, he vacuums, does his own laundry, helps with the trash, and works on money-management skills. In other words, thanks to OHI, AJ – and many other young adults with disabilities – are learning the skills they need to live on their own as much as they can. That's important because it gives each person the chance to make choices and to be an active, contributing member of a community. It's also important because it reduces the risk that they'll end up dependent on aging parents, relegated to an institution, hospitalized or homeless and reliant on tax dollars. For AJ, OHI is important because its services and professional, caring staff are giving him the chance to grow up and be on his own. "I love OHI," says AJ. "OHI means a lot to me. If you asked me to rate OHI it would be an A+ – double-time. I'm glad my mom and dad found this place."