OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — For 26 years, a familiar face has walked the halls of the Westside Community Schools Administrative building. Before Chad Kracher started his job, he went to school in the district.
Kracher was born premature and when he was an infant he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
The district has become a strong community for him. Kracher told us, "I think they're pretty amazing people and that goes for the people around here that I call them friends, too."
Kracher's family wasn't sure what his life would look like after his diagnosis.
His mom, Nancy, is amazed by what he's accomplished, "when you have a child with special needs, what you had planned or what you thought your child's life would be has been changed, but to see him be a productive employee and work all these years, there are no words."
Recently, Westside Community Schools was named employer of the year by the Ollie Webb Center. The organization works with Chad to make sure his needs are met in his life and career.
His manager, Raymond Cich has worked by his side for most of Chad's time at Westside, "Chad has a way of doing things and people in the building appreciate it very much and when he's gone, it's very much noticed that he's gone."
Not that he's gone much. You can probably count on one hand the number of sick days he's taken.
"There's days I wish I had the same sort of enthusiasm to come to work everyday the way that chad does. He seems to come in everyday with a good attitude, ready to work," Cich said.
"Seeing what he has done in his life and the people he has touched, makes me so proud," his mom said.
