I’m a Puerto Rican woman, and the first of my family to graduate from college. I grew up in New York, and was a single mom to two girls for 10 years, until I met my husband.
My 17 year old, Elyssa, has Cerebral Palsy. Maybe you have a child with a developmental disability yourself, but even if you don’t, I’m sure you can imagine how complicated finding the right care can be. As a single mother, it was even more difficult.
Elyssa needs 24-hour support, so while I am a very involved mother, she lives in a nearby group residence. When COVID-19 hit, the residence shut their doors to visitors and family in an effort to stop the spread of the virus. I understood—but I was still panicked. I worked with the staff to help set up frequent video calls with Elyssa, which helped, but I felt powerless to protect my daughter.
