CherishAbility is a ‘life saver!’

A conversation with Sandy Hallet and her daughter, Emily

March 2020

“I had never heard of CherishAbility before,” says Sandy, “until a friend of mine from church attended one of your presentations in the Sacramento area a few years ago. Following the gathering, she immediately called to share with me what she learned about CherishAbility, and that she felt Emily would just love attending your events, and so would I!”

A few months later her daughter Emily, who is in her 20s and lives with her family in Nebraska, participated in a CherishAbility family enrichment event with her Mom. It was held at the A/U Ranches’ 100 Elk Outdoor Center in Colorado. “Being in a Christian Science environment, regardless of everyone’s situation, is such a healing, loving atmosphere that permeates everything. As a result, limitations drop away” shares Sandy.

“It’s so freeing for them. Combining the outdoors along with joining Christian Scientists of all ages─you just naturally grow…. Emily became more independent, making decisions on her own and not needing my help as Mom all the time. She grew in the area of communications as well. The atmosphere of camp opened that up for her.”

Sandy prayed about having a Christian Science experience for Emily. CherishAbility provided a unique opportunity to attend the event with Emily and trust that the adaptations for her daughter’s needs would be embraced. Most importantly, she did not feel judged over why Emily hasn’t been healed. “To have support for an individual that is still working toward a full healing is a life saver,” Sandy comments.

“It’s an absolute gift to be able to talk with other Christian Scientists not focused on all our problems. In other settings, the whole medical world is the only thing you hear about. It’s a gift to the parents as much as it is a gift to the individual. Our conversations at the event were inspiring, as was the opportunity to share challenges we thought we could never talk about openly.”

Sandy is also a regular participant on CherishAbility’s monthly Parent Gathering video calls. CherishAbility’s Family Support Network is a supportive community that connects families and caretakers through programs and conversations so they don’t feel alone in their journey. She adds, “the platform is extremely meaningful and very beneficial. They have actually just lifted my whole day! They have given me a greater comfort level to reach out and recognize I don’t have to do this alone anymore.”