COEUR d'ALENE - It was just a flier that Catherine McClintick's son, Andrew, a child with Down syndrome, brought home from school several years ago.

But for the McClintick family, it would prove to be life-changing.

The handout was for Camp Independence, a summer program for children with developmental disabilities - a service provided by Tesh, a Coeur d'Alene nonprofit that provides life and job skills training, counseling, and child development services to Kootenai County residents.

McClintick, one of the guest speakers at Tesh's annual Pathways to Independence breakfast held Thursday at The Coeur d'Alene Resort, shared how Andrew's experience at Camp Independence became the gateway to other Tesh services that have helped create an enriching life for Andrew and the rest of the McClinticks.

"Without Tesh, my family would be prisoners in our own home," McClintick said.

Raising "one of those kids with an extra chromosome" wasn't easy, she said. There were health problems. When Andrew's colon burst, medical professionals gave him a 20 percent chance of survival.

But he pulled through, and the McClinticks carried on.

"I finally taught him to eat at age 4," McClintick said.

With encouragement from friends, Andrew's mother took steps to integrate the boy into society.

When Andrew came home from school with the information about Camp Independence, McClintick said the idea of a place for Andrew to celebrate the long, sunny, school-free days of summer with his peers was appealing. It would provide an alternative to spending the time at home.

But there was also some trepidation, McClintick said. Andrew's extreme fight-or-flight reflex sometimes caused problems. He had been injured when he once climbed out a second story window.

"This, my friends, was on my mind," McClintick said.

At camp, Andrew went through "camp buddies" quickly because of his behavior and Intensive Behavioral Intervention therapy was recommended.

A therapist, "Miss Paula," began what McClintick described as a "wonderful, shall we say, 'dance,'" with Andrew. The woman initially spent weeks just playing alongside the boy.

"Somehow, he tolerated her. This was my first glimpse of hope," McClintick said.

"Miss Paula" helped Andrew begin to overcome some of the family's major challenges. He learned, among other things, to stop getting upset when someone laughs, and to stop running away when he does become agitated, McClintick said.

"With that hard work behind us, we could finally have some semblance of family life," she said.

For the first time, they were able to go out in public.

"I shudder to think what life would be like today without Tesh," McClintick said.

Tesh serves 400 clients annually. CEO Russ Doumas said the gap between what it actually costs to serve these individuals and what the agency is reimbursed for as fees for services is $1,200 per client.

Thursday's breakfast was one of the agency's main fundraisers for the year. By the end of the business day, the event had raised $47,000. Holly Stetson, Tesh's development director, said they expect additional dollars to continue coming in over the next few weeks.

A video shown during the breakfast highlighted the ways Tesh helps its clients and their families become successful members of the community.

Vickie Lesley, the mother of another Tesh client, a child with autism, said that with the agency's help, her son has learned coping skills and gained self-confidence.

"They never gave up and they never gave in," Lesley said.

Brian Cravens, from Big R Stores, has hired several Tesh clients, and said he would hire more, if he had jobs available for them.

"They always give us their best when they're there," Cravens said.

Big R Stores was given Tesh's employer of the year award during Thursday's breakfast.

In addition to working with local employers, Tesh works with the local school districts to provide opportunities for their clients.

Trina Tinder, a Post Falls special education teacher, said her students learn a sense of value through the job opportunities Tesh offers.

"We all want to feel worthy, no matter what," Tinder said.

Information: 765-5105