Even though his life was short, he gave us a lot. Michael's legacy is his mother's drive. That drive was cited by Don Johnson, principal at Elmdale Elementary, in his nomination of Donald for Public School Heroes recognition. She coaches Odyssey of the Mind teams. She supports Reflections, a national PTA program that promotes children's participation in the arts.
Reflections seeks to remedy that, encouraging school children to create beauty for themselves.
Donald serves on the board of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. She is now manager of the family support program of the Arkansas Support Network, a local non-profit agency that assists children and adults who have developmental disabilities. Part of her job is to help such children get access to education. Donald says her personal experience with a disabled child helps her relate to other parents. And they do it in a low-key way.