I have had many people support me in the past and in the present in lots of different ways. These are the types of support that I have received over the years.
I have had many community support workers in the past like Anne, Ross, Brandon, Daniel, and Caylee that were part of my life and I do miss them so very much. I would always say thank you to all of my old support workers because that would make them very happy. My current community supports are people like Adam, Elliot and Ashley and they are supporting me in so many ways. They take me to play Special Olympic baseball or we go out to a movie or out for lunch. We do fun things together like going to a sports game, going to the movies, or baking pies or cookies or cakes!
My favourite things about these people who do support me is that I support them back too. They do help me a lot with things that I do in my life and I love being with them and make them feel happy. Also, we are friends.
I also have my Friends Café boss who is named Adelle, and Ciara who helps me with my CDSS work when I work from home on Monday and Tuesday mornings. I worked with the old CDSS staff when we worked in-person at the office and I really do miss them everyday as well.
Winnie is my new supportive roommate and she is very nice to me! Winnie is someone who helps me when I need her the most, I even have her support throughout the evening and night. A supportive roommate helps with household chores like sharing the laundry, the garbage and the recycling and to clean the apartment up.
As for my family support, I do have my loving parents and my loving sister and they love me. When I was younger my parents supported me by driving me to the Special Olympics and even the CDSS office when it was too cold to take the bus. They also drove me to community sports like baseball and swimming. When I was so very small my Mom would take me to PREP and school and swimming. When I was older, my parents taught me my skills I need in the kitchen and how to clean all the rooms of our red house.
The ways that my parents support me now is by getting the right bills paid and by giving me a schedule when they go very far away on trips. They also take me to places that are needed like appointments.
I have lessons with my teacher Elle for ukulele and voice and that is great for her to support someone like me. I also love to be with my Calgary Dolphins Swim Club, and we have so many coaches in the Swim Club. I have good baseball coaches from over the years for the Special Olympics who help me. When I go to attend Mount Royal University, I have a very good teacher named Peggy in the music class who teaches me.
I also have a very good counsellor Michelle. She supports my mental health and helps me to fully understand about my personal everyday feelings.
It can be hard to not have support. I really feel all alone and frustrated when my support workers are not with me when they go on holidays or are not here. I feel much better when they get back.
When COVID and the pandemic happened, it changed everything for me like my job location, my bus route, and my in-person ukulele lessons. Nothing was the same and it made me feel disappointed, frustrated and angry.
When I get the right kind of support I always feel good and also very proud to be with someone to help me in so many different ways. I love being independent. It is very important for everyone in the whole wide world to have independence. Having the support there so you can choose when you need it or not – that is how everyone can feel happy.
