(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A north suburban organization is dedicated to helping parents of children with special needs.
Mary Anne Ehlert is the CEO of Linconlshire-based Protected Tomorrows, which has been assisting families since 2003.
She said the purpose of the organization is to help parents with every aspect of care, from publicly funded resources to legal documents for people with special needs and specific retirement plans.
Ultimately, Ehlert said, the organization crafts a care plan for the period that follows the death of a parent or caregiver.
She said that is what parents wish for their children.
"Our mission is to make sure that everyone on the planet who has a disability has a safe and fulfilling life," Ehlert said.
She said her mission began when she was a child. Her parents told her that her younger sister was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
"They sat me down and said 'OK, you're going to be her older sister, and you're always going to be her older sister. As you grow up and you get older, you are always going to take care of her,’" Ehlert said.
She cared for her younger sister until her sibling’s death in 1995.
Ehlert turned her financial planning practice into Protected Tomorrows in 2003. She said her organization exists to give parents peace of mind.
She said it is an emotional job, but satisfying, because she is extending a helping hand to parents who may feel overwhelmed.
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