Meghan came to Youth Care & Beyond in 2005 from 
a very loving and protective home environment.  Her 
parents had provided everything for their little girl 
…everything but independence.  

The one thing that would make Meghan feel valued 
as an adult with positive contributions to society…was 
the one thing they couldn’t give her on  their own. 

When Meghan came to us she had difficulty with tasks such 
as taking medications, housekeeping and budgeting.  Dependent
on her caring parents she hadn’t had the opportunity to learn these tasks.   

Soon after Meghan came to YCB, she decided she wanted to live in her own apartment and not have to share living quarters with anyone else.  This became  her goal.  Staff explained to Meghan that this goal was attainable if she could master the skills of housekeeping, doing laundry and budgeting.

Undaunted, Meghan set her sights on this goal and began to master the skills necessary to give her the opportunity to live on her own.  She worked hard on these skills, which was not easy for her,  as stated earlier learning self-help 
and independent living is challenging.

As Meghan worked over the years to master these skills, she ran into a speed bump when she was diagnosed with  breast cancer.  She went through all of her treatments, which included surgery, chemo and radiation, like a champ and remains cancer free.   

Meghan not only lives in her own apartment, but also participates in the workshops at VODEC training with the goal of qualifying for employment that is mainstream and not considered specialized.  A true lover of animals and children, she is thrilled to have recently become an aunt.  Meghan will easily smile from ear to ear and give you a first class tour of her apartment.  She is very proud of her new “digs.”