Danielle: After 19 years working for Marriott, I decided I needed a change. I took some time off and focused on school, myself and family. After a year break, I decided I needed to re-enter the work field and I did so as a direct care worker. Never experiencing this line of work, it was a bit intimidating. I completed my training and started what would be a life changing journey for me.
On my first day at the group home, the member I was working with had a grand mal seizure as I was standing next to him. My heart broke into a million pieces and when it was over, I wanted to give him a bear hug and ask if he was ok. I quickly learned that despite him being unable to communicate verbally, his body language gave me the answer I needed to know. When I got home that evening, I had a talk with my mother, who was a hospice nurse, about my first day and if I could make it through a second day. She knew that I could make it through a second day, a second year and even a sixteenth year. She told me to remember that there is a whole and well person inside of the people I support. Those words have guided my path forward in this industry. I learned that I don't need words to communicate with someone, I don't need to hear to know how someone feels and I don't need to see to know what someone needs. I've learned that impossible sometimes is possible and mBracing is a testament to that.
