During her pregnancy, Cherice found out that her role as a mom would be slightly different than most.
Her son, Isaiah, came into the world fighting for his life. After receiving 10 early surgeries because of life-threatening medical concerns, Cherice was told that Isaiah would never walk or talk. Doctors had already given up on Isaiah before he even had a chance.
For Cherice, being a young mother was stressful enough, and then she was told Isaiah also had been diagnosed with Down Syndrome. She knew nothing about raising a son with special needs, but God gave her the strength and family support to get through the rough times.
“Honestly it has made our family even closer than we were before. Isaiah is key to this family and he brightens everyone’s day” says Cherice.
At first, Cherice took classes and joined different support groups for parents. Finally, in 2012, Cherice took her life experience and started a career with Emmaus Homes. The mission of Emmaus is to enrich the lives of individuals with cognitive or developmental disabilities by fostering independence, inclusion and self-advocacy.
“I understand how it is to be a parent of a child with special needs. Working at Emmaus has prepared me for Isaiah’s journey into adulthood and proved to me he can live a normal life.”
Cherice says that she’s highly trusted working at Emmaus. She’s been in family members’ shoes and sees her clients, coworkers and parents as part of her extended family. She loves and cares for everyone as her own. When she fights for her clients, she’s fighting for the future of her son.
Today, Cherice is proud to say Isaiah has showed everyone that said he wouldn’t, that he could.
Want to learn more about a career as a Direct Support Professional?
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