Meet Julia – A bright and vibrant person both inside and out, she brings a smile with her everywhere she goes and has the life moto of “Be Positive!” Julia has been coming to Grace Center since 2009 after she experienced a traumatic brain injury from a motor vehicle accident in 2008. This accident changed her life forever and Grace Center quickly became a key part of her circle of support. “After the accident and before coming to Grace Center, I felt very low. I was feeling sorry for myself and that is not good. At Grace Center, they helped me love myself. Grace Center is now my home and the staff are my family. Since I started coming to Grace Center, I have felt like a person again.”
Julia lives alone and works hard to maintain the abilities she needs to maintain her independence. Despite being in a wheelchair and having left-sided hemiparesis, she takes care of the majority of her daily tasks all on her own. “It takes longer, but I can do it.”
Julia comes to the center weekly to participate in activities, socialize with friends, and take part in group and individualized fitness classes. She also takes advantage of our shower program and gets weekly showers at the center since our handicap accessible shower room is safer and easier to use than the regular shower at her apartment.
When asked what she likes to do at Grace Center, Julia said, “I like to give back and help out at Grace Center because they give so much to me. They even went to my apartment and installed a transfer pole so I can get in and out of bed safely by myself. The first time I transferred by myself I cried because I was so thankful.”
Julia also takes part in our weekly Wellness Group which is a support group for our participants led by a counselor. Some of her favorite things at Grace Center are working out on our Nu-Step recumbent workout machines, using our library computer to listen to her favorite musicians from Mexico, participating in our chair exercise classes, and getting pampered after her weekly shower with hair styling and makeup assistance. With the support of our Post-Rehabilitation Program, Julia has learned how to thrive again. “Grace Center gave me faith and trust in myself. I come here and I say, ‘I can do it.’”
