Ron Gibbens and his late wife, Faye, co-founded the North Dakota Association for the Disabled (NDAD). Ron earned Bachelor of Science degrees from the University of North Dakota and Mayville State University, and a Master of Science degree from North Dakota State University. He also completed the credits and the comprehensive exams for a PhD at the University of North Dakota. His entire professional career has been dedicated to working with disadvantaged people, and he has received numerous awards at the local, state, and national levels. Ron is quick to point out that while he and Faye can take credit for founding NDAD, the real credit for its success and growth goes to the many employees and volunteers who carry out the work every day.
Beyond My Wildest Dreams
by Ron Gibbens
Beyond My Wildest Dreams
by Ron Gibbens
Published Nov 30, 2019
117 Pages
Genre: BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / General
Book Details
BEYOND MY WILDEST DREAMS follows the ups and downs one family faced as they advocated for the rights of their son and others with disabling conditions and health challenges.
This is the story of heartbreak, struggle, and relentless parental support for Mike Gibbens, who was born with cerebral palsy. Battling a school system that separated their son from his neighborhood friends while facing financial difficulties from high medical costs, Mike’s parents vowed to find a way to improve the situation. As they searched for solutions to seemingly insurmountable problems in a world that wasn’t prepared to accept people with disabilities, Ron and Faye Gibbens were instrumental in founding a support group—North Dakota Association for the Disabled (NDAD)—in the early 1970s. With $83.72 in the NDAD bank account, the couple volunteered their spare time, while working full time, to nurture NDAD into a vibrant charitable organization that has since provided more than $56 million in vital disability services not provided by other organizations or agencies.