The Magic of Friendship

“He’s helped me become a great magician,” Cody Schultz said of Liberty ARC’s Behavior Support Specialist Jeremy Purtell. “A great magician never reveals his tricks, but I’ll just say that Jeremy has helped me become a great one.”

“The biggest magic trick you’ve ever done, is use your words,” Jeremy said to Cody. “Telling me what you want and need has helped me to help you. I’m proud of you.”

Jeremy, who’s been working for the agency’s Clinical Department for six years, has been helping Cody since he came to the agency two years ago.

“Cody is still learning a lot, and I’m still learning a lot about Cody,” Jeremy said. “He tells me things he wants to do or used to do years ago and I help make them happen.”

Jeremy’s goal with Cody is to have Cody tell him all of his goals and aspirations, and from there Jeremy plans to help make them happen.

“It took some digging and determination, but I got Cody to tell me that he wanted to walk again,” Jeremy said. “So I’ve been taking Cody to gait training. The first time I saw him doing the gait training, I was so proud of him.”

Gait training is a form of physical therapy that can help improve the ability to walk or stand. Cody said he hadn’t walked in 20 years prior to this specialized training.

“Seeing Cody do the gait training, for the first time, was easily one of my favorite memories so far with him,” Jeremy said.

As for Cody, he’s also had a lot of great memories with Jeremy including his performance in Liberty ARC’s 2018 Follies Show, his performances with The Bell Tones and a special lunch with his brother.

“Jeremy helps with my capabilities and non-capabilities,” Cody said. “He listens to me and we work on things together.”

Jeremy says he enjoys what he does immensely because it brings him joy and inspiration to help others.

“I just love my job,” Jeremy said. “It’s so easy, because I’m doing exactly what I want – I go from person to person and help bring them happiness, and that causes me happiness. I go to the people who need me and we work on specific things and I help them identify their hopes and dreams and then help them turn those hopes and dreams into attainable goals.”

If you are interested in joining the Liberty ARC team and want a meaningful career, please visit HERE to see our current openings.