This is Where We Live

In a small town in the Texas Hill Country, Diane Sutton is the caregiver to her 25-year old son August, who has cerebral palsy, and her husband Bob, who is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Suffering from her own chronic health issues, Diane is warned by her doctor to make changes to her daily routine, not just her full-time job of working stock at a supermarket, but also the exhausting physical demands that August’s care presents. After almost dropping August while carrying him onto the front porch on a recent return home from the store, Diane hires Noah Warden to build a wheelchair ramp up the steps to the house.

Noah strikes up a conversation with August while building the ramp, and August –who is physically unable to speak –observes Noah throughout. Noah joins the family for dinner that evening as partial payment for his labor; the Suttons are having a hard time making ends meet. As Noah heads out the door after dinner, Diane catches him and asks if he would like to pick up some work helping out with August during the day while she is at work and he accepts. As the primary caregiver for this family, it is clear that, while asking for help may not come easily to this woman, Diane desperately needs assistance to carry this family forward.