Spring/Summer 2019
MEET THE Ambassadors Annually, Easterseals Michigan selects two individuals to represent the services and successes of the 12,000 individuals served every year. We are proud to announce our 2019 Easterseals Ambassadors: Jessie was placed in foster care at just six years old. After sexual misconduct from another child in the home, Jessie returned home to live with his parents. After years of tension between his parents, Jessie and his mother escaped to a domestic abuse shelter, where they were happy, until his mother died when Jessie was 16. The only option for Jessie was to move back home to his father, where he turned to a life of crime, drugs, and violence. Jessie’s involvement with a gang led to a drive by shooting in which him and his father were shot multiple times. His father died from the injuries from the shooting. Jessie would also find himself incarcerated several times between 1999 and 2006. It was while he was in county jail that he decided to turn his life around.
“Easterseals does a body, mind, and soul good” - Jessie
After his release he began to seek services to help him deal with his depression and PTSD. He quit the gang, stopped selling drugs, and took his first steps toward a better life.
At Easterseals, Jessie takes full advantage of the resources available to him. Thanks to Easterseals partnership with Community Housing Network, Jessie was able to find affordable housing. Today he is working towards his high school diploma. He continues receiving services at Easterseals and is part of the Dreams Unlimited Clubhouse program. He hopes to continue on his path to accomplishing his goals and he hopes that his progress is making his parents proud and happy. When the Campos family found out they were pregnant with their son, Mario, they were elated. As they were preparing to welcome Mario to the world, they found out he was going to be born with spina bifida, a rare condition in which the spinal cord fails to develop or close while in the womb. According to statistics, only seven out of every 10,000 newborns will be born with spina bifida and 95% of those born with it have no family history of the disability. Many medical professionals suggested that the Campos’ end the pregnancy, but they made the decision that not only would they give birth to their son, but they would raise him to be a happy, independent man. Mario is now an energetic and outgoing five-year-old with a deep love for sports. Mario participates in Easterseals Miracle League, the baseball league for children and young adults with disabilities. When he arrived at the field for his “We hope to set the foundation needed for first game he was brought to tears, as he was the only person in a wheelchair Mario to live a stable and productive life. at his school, he hadn’t seen many other children his age in wheelchairs or We believe in encouraging Mario to be an using mobility aides. The league provides Mario with the chance to work on independent young man.” – Rocio Campos strengthening motor skills, socializing with other children, and having fun!