By Brittany Tobar | Marketing Coordinator
We first met Monica in 2010 at Camp Everytown. We were immediately taken by her enthusiasm and positive attitude. If she never mentioned it, you would never know that she suffers from an unknown viral infection in her brain, which led to legal blindness, full body numbness, and intermittent paralysis of her limbs that can last years.
However, Monica has never let her disability inhibit her. When she went to Camp the first time in 2010, she said that she was forced to face things that she had never dealt with. During the disability exercise, where students are given a simulated disability (eat lunch with one hand, no hands, or blindfolded), Monica was struck by the way her classmates reacted to the exercise. "Having 2 of the 3 disabilities that are simulated, I realized that people didn't understand that just because you have a disability, your life isn't over."
In need of volunteers, FACES reached out to Monica in 2011 to see if she would be able to help facilitate Camp. Her positive energy matched by her compassion, commitment, and strong work ethic made made her our Camp Everytown hero. Coming back as a leader, she was in a better place in her life. She felt more empowered to share her experiences with others.
Monica says that her favorite part about Camp is "getting to hear the students' stories and seeing the changes in each and every one of them; they come in one way and walk out as a completely changed person". In May she joined our staff as the Camp Everytown Logistics Coordinator. "I am passionate about Camp and love what it stands for. FACES has provided a great support system - they are like family."
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