My name is Sonia Bell.
I have been a waiver participant since 2013. I was diagnosed with chondrosarcoma bone cancer, they said I would never walk again.
As I was in the nursing home, the desire to fight was there. But it's hard to fight cancer. It's not a physical thing or a physical person, you know. When you're in that nursing home
and that's all you see, don't see the possibility. You only see what is right there in front of you. You only see your pain. You only see your frustration. You only see your anger.
But when you guys came in because you understood that, you helped me process those things. And it helped me become stronger. No matter what you're going through, if you're in a facility and you want to get out, MassAbility is the way to do that in a way that supports you and just doesn't throw you out to the street.
I was heading towards the five year mark, Jennifer connected me with Kaleidoscope,
We found an apartment. At the time, I was in a wheelchair, they made sure the apartment was suitable for me, it was wheelchair accessible. They set up all my services, PCA services, my home health aide services, my companion services.
They made sure that I had everything in my house that I would need down to my silverware,
my couches, my bed- everything that would help me push forward. It was very encouraging. And that included emotional support. To me, that's what makes this program
different, it's not just, okay, you need these services, we're going to connect you and walk away. It's that investment. This program has helped me regain who I am as a person and as a woman. Not just helped me in my life, helped me get back to a life. I can still be a part of this society, and that I think for me, was one of the biggest lessons that I learned working with this program.
You guys help me to see: Yeah, you're disabled, but you're a person. I can honestly say I feel cared for. From the moment I left the nursing facility to right now, I’ve felt supported, I’ve felt cared for, and there were times I felt loved.
So, if you're looking to get out of the facility and you're looking to get back into your life, then give MassAbility that opportunity to do that for you.