Sasha, 23, says she’s a different person – more open and outgoing – since she started receiving support from The Mustard Seed.
She initially came to us to join the Employment Program, but her conversation with one of our wellness advocates, Donna, opened the door for her to get access to much-needed health services.
Sasha grew up under difficult circumstances. Her father died when she was only three years old, and she was placed in the foster care system at the age of eight, because of her mother’s struggle with addiction.
“It felt like my foster family didn’t really like me…and I started acting out,” Sasha says.
When Sasha was 13, a physical altercation with some kids left her with a dent in her head and a brain injury. She still experiences memory loss and struggles with learning as a result of the incident.
She left her foster home at 16, and moved from one unstable living situation to another for five years, staying in group homes, with relatives, or at times being homeless. Sasha has been working to rebuild her life, and after finding a stable housing situation, her health was the next step.
Through Donna, who Sasha now describes as being “like my best friend,” Sasha was connected with diagnostics testing services to better understand her brain, and she now meets with a doctor regularly through one of The Mustard Seed’s partners.
“It’s amazing. They’re trying to help me figure out everything with my body,” Sasha says. “It feels really good because now somebody knows me and they can help me get through all of this.”
