Brianna made a fateful decision on a subzero night in the winter of 2013.
The decision to leave friends after an argument and to walk in the snow cost her dearly. Brianna ended up in knee-deep snow and her body began to shut down after walking for 45 minutes. She ended up suffering severe frostbite and lost her fingers in the process.
After losing her fingers, Brianna had to figure out how to live differently, especially with being a single mother to a young daughter, Jaida.
“Everything became a challenge,” Brianna said. “From washing my hair, changing diapers, getting ready for the day and especially cooking.”
Brianna underwent surgeries to have her toes put on her hands. Her big toes act as thumbs now to provide help in gripping.
She had to find a new job and realized that going back to school was a great option. She’s now majoring in office administration.
“I had to figure out every-day life before I could figure out what my next job was going to be,” she said.
But going back to school and being able to do something as simple as taking notes during class wasn’t going to be easy for Brianna. Either was paying for prosthetics, which is something she couldn’t afford.
That’s where United Cerebral Palsy of Central Minnesota stepped in. ConnectAbility of MN has assisted Brianna by connecting her to community resources and providing home modifications to make every-day life a little easier.
These modifications help her with everyday activities and emergency exits, along with helping her acclimate to school.
ConnectAbility of MN is happy to help Brianna and her daughter live a life without limits!
For more than 60 years, ConnectAbility of MN empowered people living with a silent or physical disability to live a life without limits. ConnectAbility of MN works with all disabilities, not just cerebral palsy.
ConnectAbility of MN services, advocacy, needed resources and tools for our clients. Clients served by ConnectAbility of MN all ages with various needs.
To learn more about us, call (320) 253-0765 or navigate on www.ucpcentralmn.org!