A Quiet Strength
Nicole’s Journey of Resilience and Hope
When you meet Nicole, you see a quiet strength that comes from having weathered storms most of us can’t imagine.
Three years ago, Nicole’s life changed in an instant when she suffered a stroke. She lost her job and spent months in physical, speech, and occupational therapy. As she fought to recover, tragedy struck again with first the death of her brother, and then, not long after, the passing of her mother.
“It was really hard for me to ask for help,” Nicole admitted during our initial interview with her. “I’m usually the one helping others.”
That help eventually came in the form of Veronica, her advocate, a behavioral health social worker at Baylor Scott & White. Veronica met Nicole during her recovery and has been walking beside her ever since as her therapist, case worker, and encourager.
“Nicole is one of the most resilient people I’ve ever known,” Veronica told us. “No matter how many times life has knocked her down, she gets back up.”
Since her stroke, Nicole has worked relentlessly toward self-sufficiency in showing up for therapy, pursuing employment, and leaning on her faith. Last year, she finally landed a job, but without a car, her daily commute on public transportation was grueling, often getting her home close to 1:00 a.m. after late shifts.
If she had reliable transportation though, everything could change. Nicole could cut hours a day of travel time, attend physical therapy and medical appointments more easily, and visit her only sister—who lives 50 miles away and is expecting her first child soon.
Nicole wanted her life back on track. To be able to once again build her savings, tend to her garden, be an aunt, and regain the confidence she had before her stroke.
“God didn’t bring me this far to leave me,” she told us.
Members of Woodcreek Church praying over Nicole
Community Partners Help Us Run!
On the day of Nicole’s giveaway, we were honored to be part of Woodcreek Church’s Community Spotlight event. The people of Woodcreek have been steadfast supporters of OnRampDFW since our inception by praying for our clients, volunteering at all levels of the organization, and faithfully giving financially so that life-changing stories like Nicole’s can happen.
Fittingly, the 2014 Mazda CX-5 Nicole received came to us through the generous donation of a Woodcreek Church member! This gift will not only restore Nicole’s time and independence but will ripple outward as it helps her invest in her family, workplace, and community for years to come.
Nicole’s story is a reminder that while the road may be long, God is faithful to sustain us along the way.
SUMMER GIVING UPDATE
At the beginning of the summer we set a goal of $6000/month in new giving. Through the incredible generosity of many people, we are currently at 84% of that goal! Meeting this goal helps us to continue giving reliable transportation to more clients through the end of the year!
Would you help us meet this goal by the end of the month of August? If you are already giving, would you consider passing this newsletter on to someone new? Every donation, no matter how small, helps.
Photography by Jon Dunlop
Client story used with permission
