Story about disabled children and life in institutions

The Arc of Madison Cortland and Cazenovia College are hosting a screening of the documentary “Where’s Molly?” at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27, at the Catherine Cummings Theatre on Lincklaen Street. This film is a poignant story about institutions, the decisions parents of disabled children were faced with and a dark time in America’s history.

 “What happened to Molly?” is a question Jeff Daly was plagued by as a child. He had a younger sister named Molly when one day she vanished and his parents told him to forget about her. At the age of 6, that was exactly what he did, until decades later when he found out the truth about Molly — in order to keep up appearances, she was sent to an institution based on the recommendation from a doctor. Jeff was left to wonder and mourn the loss of his sister for years following until their emotional reunion.

A panel discussion will follow the film screening and will be facilitated by Maureen Louis, professor, communication studies, at Cazenovia College.  Featured on the panel are Michael Kennedy, former resident of Rome Developmental Center and author of “My Life in Institutions” and “My Way Out;” Robin Collins, former employee at Syracuse Developmental Center and current trainer at The Arc of Madison Cortland; Dan Flannigan, Central Region coordinator at SANYS; and Mary Handley, professor, human services, at Cazenovia College.

Collins, a panelist and former employee at an institution, said she is hopeful that the event will raise awareness and prevent history from repeating itself. “Based on my experience and what I’ve learned working in the field, it is my strong belief that we must keep teaching disability history so people will know how it was and fight to ensure we never go back to those times,” she said.

The event is free and is open to the public.

For more information, contact Cassaundra Conant at [email protected], 315-363-3389 ext. 1610 or visit our website at arcofmc.org.