It Takes a Village and IHSS …
Contest Winning Photo!

Zoie was born August 16, 2000 weighing only 1lb. 10 oz.  She was in the NICU at Kaiser for 17 weeks.  We watched her in her incubator all those weeks telling God we would take her any way we could get her.  We said it with love and with all our hearts, but with a bit of naivety having no idea the road that lay ahead but trusting that He would see us through.

Hi! My name is Zoie. My friends Cameron, Shane’s Inspiration, The City of Roseville, my family and many other in the community got me this swing, THANKS! A BIG thanks goes to IHSS for the help which allows my Oompah with my daily needs and with his help to get out and help others!

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That was 10 years ago, and while the struggles have been many, the blessings have been innumerable.  Zoie is the absolute light of our lives and the center of our universe. When they say it takes a village to raise a child; it takes so much more to raise a child with special needs.

Zoie requires full time care and constant stimulation.  IHSS has allowed us to keep her at home instead of placing her in a facility where she might not get the individualized attention and love that she gets at home.

Zoie enjoys therapeutic horseback riding horses at UCP Saddle Pal’s, which is helping to strengthen her core muscles so that one day she may walk.  She can now sit up on Dudley with just a little help from Mommy, Grannie and Oompah.

Because Zoie liked to swing, we asked the City of Roseville to install a handicap accessible swing in our neighborhood playground.  We then heard about “Shane’s Inspiration” www.shanesnspiration.org a non-profit that helps communities build Universally Accessible Playgrounds.  Zoie and her friend Cameron have been instrumental in helping raise over $900,000.00 to bring Universally Accessible Playgrounds to Roseville so that kids of ALL abilities can play together, helping to break down barriers, fear and misconceptions and encouraging tolerance, education and kindness.  see Roseville Parks – “Project Play”

A friend who said she thought after seeing Zoie for the first time, “What good can come of this?” says that now she knows.  We all have a purpose in this world; Zoie has proven that.  IHSS helps so many like her to fulfill their potential and contribute to society in their own way.  IHSS is a program that must continue!

By the way, in case you don’t know; in Greek, Zoie means Life!

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