- It's no wonder that Liliana Mayo received the Queen Sofia
Award - Spain's highest honor - in January for her humanitarian
efforts.
In 1979, Mayo cleared out her parents' garage in Lima, Peru,
and created a school to teach eight poverty-stricken children
with autism or severe mental retardation.
From those humble beginnings, she has expanded the school - now
called the Anne Sullivan Center after Helen Keller's teacher
- to teach some 200 children with severe developmental disabilities
how to function independently in society.
And somehow, this psychologist by trade also managed to earn
two postgraduate degrees in human development from KU.
More importantly, while at KU she met several people through
the Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies who have helped
her develop and expand her special school.
The Anne Sullivan Center in Lima, Peru, now sits on land donated
by the Peruvian government and attracts the help of psychologists,
teachers, physicians and professors from all over the world.
Still, Mayo says the school could not have flourished without
the help of her KU colleagues.
Each year, the Life Span Institute coordinates trips to the center,
sending between 10 to 15 professors there to help Mayo and her
staff.
One professor who has made the trip each year for the last 15
years is Judith LeBlanc, professor emerita in human development
and family life at KU. LeBlanc acts as a consultant to the center
and she even accompanied Mayo to Madrid, Spain, for the award
presentation ceremony Jan. 20. Along with the award, Mayo also
will receive the equivalent of $32,000.
"The credit for receiving this award goes in part to Dr.
Judith LeBlanc and the University of Kansas," Mayo said.
"Her trips here since 1985 taught us state-of-the-art techniques
in education. The center is going to receive the award, but it
is the work of a team."
Stephen Schroeder, director of the Life Span Institute at KU,
said the prestigious Queen Sofia Award, which is presented by
the queen herself, is equivalent to the Nobel Prize among Spanish-speaking
countries. Schroeder said he was impressed with the work that
Mayo has done, and proud that KU and the Life Span Institute
remained an influential sponsor for the center over the years.
Mayo, meanwhile, said she would continue to try to expand the
center. There still are plenty of children in Peru who do not
receive the attention they need, she said.
Still, Mayo said she is proud of the fact that the center currently
has some 40 students with severe disabilities who are working
and supporting their families.
"I think what is amazing is that with very little money,
we have made a first-class program in a third-world country with
fourth-rate salaries," Mayo said.
Mayo said that she will spend the remainder of the spring semester
in Lawrence, working on a book with LeBlanc. The book will serve
as a "how-to" manual for others interested in opening
similar schools in economically-deprived areas.
Because the school is financed through the generosity of private
donations, Mayo asks that any interested donors in the United
States mail contributions to: Drs. Carolyn and Stephen Schroeder,
Annie Sullivan Enterprises Inc., 862 E. 900 Road, Lawrence, KS
66047-9585; phone and fax: (785) 843-7747.
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