Angel was referred to Easterseals VT’s Compass program two years ago after her mother, Karleen, reached out through the Easterseals VT website, desperately seeking assistance for her daughter. She expressed that Angel’s quality of life was poor and that she was unhappy with her existence and the body she was born into. Easterseals VT’s Compass program is a prevention and stabilization service for at-risk youth ages 12 to 23. It supports youth and their families in promoting well-being, education, and employment opportunities while fostering permanent connections and stable living situations. Since then, Angel has been working closely with Lana, Compass Youth Coordinator.
Angel, 23 years old, was born with Spina Bifida, a congenital disability that results from the spine not closing correctly during fetal development. This condition significantly impacts her life, leading to various health challenges: she relies on a motorized wheelchair, suffers from chronic pain, requires a shunt for drainage of brain fluid, experiences a gag reflex that leads to vomiting, faces bladder and bowel issues due to kidney function, and makes numerous hospital visits due to pain and complications. While working with Angel and her family, Lana’s primary focus has been cultivating a sense of normalcy and enhancing Angel’s overall quality of life. Alongside her health struggles, Angel has been coping with the recent loss of her father.
“Lana entered our lives during a time of deep emotional turmoil and hardship for our family,” Karleen shared. “Her engaging personality and support during these challenging moments have been truly remarkable.”
When Lana first met Angel and her family, their handicap-accessible van was not operational. She successfully secured funding from the Lead Foundation to repair the van, helping Angel regain confidence and independence in her mobility. Lana remarked, “Providing transportation for Angel and her family has been transformative. Her caregivers and mom no longer need to lift her each time, reducing the risk of injury. Angel can now access the van herself, regaining her sense of freedom, and they can enjoy outings together as a family, rekindling her love for life!”
A recent milestone for Angel has been participating in a Saturday morning bowling program at her local bowling alley through Special Olympics. This experience helped her make a friend and allowed her to find rare joy in an activity. Although the program has ended, leaving Angel disappointed, Easterseals VT provided her with a year-long bowling pass through donated funds to support her well-being.
As Angel’s 24th birthday nears and Lana prepares to part ways, they focus on creating a stable routine to improve Angel’s health and well-being by working with her medical team and community resources. As Angel and her family’s journey with Easterseals VT comes to a close, they feel hopeful about her future. She is excited to continue bowling and hopes to apply as a counselor at Youth Rally, a camp for youth with bowel and bladder conditions.