about us
Creating Beauty from Destruction
In February of 2023, Austin, TX, had a horrible ice storm. People were out of power for days during the coldest days of the year. The city looked like a war zone with trees bent, broken, and destroyed. Hayden and his Dad, Garrett, saved some logs, cut them, and let them season through the Texas summer.
As we started working on that first project Hayden was mesmerised by woodworking. The cause and effect of each step was magnetic and it captivated him.
Each step of woodworking from removing bark to sanding, then staining and putting on legs. Creating from what would be garbage wood into an enduring work of art is symbolic of Hayden’s journey.
Hayden’s Story
Hayden was born in 2005 and was a normally developing child. At 17 months he was walking, saying “Mommy & Dada” and was emotionally engaged. At 18 months he had a fever and after that was never the same. It was like everything in his life paused, he lost his speech, all emotional connection, and his will to even move. He was described as a little boy in deep depression. When Hayden was officially diagnosed with autism the doctor in Chicago told his parents “Hayden will never speak, he will never live independently, he will need help for the rest of his life, deal with it.”
After months of searching for help/ therapy, Hayden’s family left their home, family, and jobs in Rockford IL, and moved to Texas for better insurance, therapy, and education. The months of therapy turned into years and Hayden has grown into a young man. His energy has returned, and his emotions have been restored. First, there was non-verbal communication using “picture cues” and simple sign language. After years of ABA therapy, Hayden started to make verbal noises, then letter sounds, and this grew into simple words. An unforgettable moment was the first time he told his family YES or NO to what he wanted.
15 years of hard work, therapy, and special education have brought us to this point. Hayden requires one-on-one help for most of his daily living. He communicates with a mix of gestures, sign language, and a few words. He can read simple stories/ books and he LOVES dogs, especially his shop dog Bodey. Hayden had a therapy dog, Maverick, who unfortunately passed away in early 2024.
Hayden loves to travel, and is always up for a trip. His favorite color is yellow, he loves Disney, especially Bambi and Lady & the Tramp. Hayden enjoys power tools, building Lego, Star Wars, construction vehicles and cars, swimming, surfing, and riding his motorcycle.
