June 23, 2015
Cheryl is living in the community for the first time since she was 4 years old.
Born with a developmental disability, her parents needed help. Raising a child with a developmental disability along with their other children wasn’t an option. St.Amant has supported Cheryl since the early years, her parents have been very involved all her life.
“St.Amant always took such great care of Cheryl, we’re so grateful for all they’ve done,” said Larry Kraitberg, Cheryl’s father. “So when they asked us about our thoughts on moving Cheryl to the community, we thought well, it can’t hurt to try.”
In addition to its large community living and outreach programs, St.Amant also operates a long-term care facility. Over the next 5 years, St.Amant is committed to supporting a minimum of 75 people to move from their large residence to homes within the community over the next 5 years. Cheryl was one of the first to move last December. The Manitoba Marathon is granting $3000 per person to support the transition and to purchase items that are not covered by government funding.
`We are still working with Cheryl to see what she would like and what she needs, but we`re thinking a swing for the backyard, an iPod or iPad, cause she loves to listen to music and maybe a new bed for her room,`said Therese, her Community Care Provider.
St.Amant is increadibly grateful to the Manitoba Marathon for their commitment of at least $225,000 over the next five years. Their support will help ease the transition and increase the quality of life for these individuals with developmental disabilities who often benefit significantly from specialized equipment.
For Cheryl, the transition has been incredibly positive, said her father. `Cheryl is very calm and happy, she`s also more affectionate – giving lots of hugs now. We even heard her speak her first words ever since moving. I can tell that she`s really happy and that`s really what I want for her.
