50th Anniversary Series: Ted Lorens

Ted in his home.

When asked if Ted likes the Fonz (Happy Days character), Ted is quick to smile and give a two thumbs up with a, “Heyyy”. Ted has always loved the Fonz and has a lot of memorabilia from one of his favorite TV shows around his home.

Sitting in Ted’s kitchen his staff excitedly talk about the things Ted enjoys doing and encourage him to talk about his interests. Ted enjoys going for a ride every day and getting a pop at his favorite Hy-Vee drugstore. He has a passion for watching semi-trucks and will often wonder where they are going. COVID has slowed him down a lot but, typically, he enjoys going to different places around Iowa City such as the library.

When asked if Ted likes living here at Systems, Ted smiled and said, “Yeah.” Ted then gave a tour of his home. There are pictures on the wall of him as a child and he smiles shyly when it is mentioned how cute he was as a baby. In his bedroom, he wants to show off his Star Wars sheets, which also happen to be his favorite colors of red and black. His room is full of things he loves.

Ted and his mom Sally on his graduation day.

Ted is diagnosed with Fragile X and moderate intellectual disability. Ted enjoys talking to people and will have certain phrases he will repeat when talking to someone such as, “How’s your dad?” He also gets anxious if he is unsure of what is going on during his day. Schedules of his staff and activities are posted on his wall so he can talk to his staff about them.
Prior to Systems, Ted was living at Glenwood State Hospital School located near the Nebraska border. His parents, Stan and Sally Lorens, advocated with other founding parents to have services closer to them. They all wanted their children to live in a home rather than an institution. At nine years old, Ted was able to move into one of the first homes operated by Systems Unlimited in 1971. Ted has two younger brothers with Fragile X that were later placed in Systems homes. Sally continued to be a part of all of her son’s lives until her death in 2020. His current guardian, Jen Volk, is a former staff who bonded with Ted during her time at Systems.

As the interview wrapped up, Ted shook my hand and then talked to his staff about his schedule. It is hard to know what Ted’s parents hoped for him when they helped start Systems Unlimited fifty years ago. However, making his schedule, deciding where to go, and exploring his passions had to be high on their list.

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