Sara

Sara became involved with ICAN’s Healthy Families program in the fall of 2015 following the birth of her son, Draken. She was discharged from the hospital as a new single mother to her baby boy with minimal support or knowledge about caring for a baby. Sara allowed herself to take advantage of any and all resources that were at her disposal in order to give her son his best chance, and that’s where her ICAN journey began.

When Sara discovered she was pregnant, she had just started her Master’s program in hopes of becoming an EMT. As Draken grew and developed through infancy and into toddlerhood, Sara’s Health Families worker, Grace, helped Sara learn about and monitor Draken’s development. Sara was able to assist her son in reaching all of his milestones on time while becoming a more confident and financially stable single mother. With the encouragement and support from ICAN, Sara was able to obtain her Master’s degree as well as her PhD, realizing that she could be something so much more than she once thought. Sara’s hard work and determination was evident as she worked towards her graduate degrees and worked full-time while simultaneously volunteering as an EMT and raising a newborn for the first time.

Today, Draken is a happy and healthy four-year-old who enjoys playing, traveling, and exploring the country with his loving mother. Sara reached and exceeded all of her expectations and goals for herself and continues working towards a better life for her and her son. Sara shared a quote that she states represents the support and encouragement she felt she received from her ICAN workers throughout her experience in the program: