Nora’s Story: “That Little Push I Needed”
– October 2019 –
“My life is finally starting after 3 years of nothing.”
That sounds dramatic, but for 21-year old Nora it’s the truth. Her present life did not seem possible when she was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 18.
Nora had dreamed of pursuing nursing after high school. But after her diagnosis that dream began to fade. Her seizures became more frequent and intense. Medication helped control them, but then she began experiencing panic attacks and slipped into depression. Conflict with her mother added to the burden.
“I just gave up on everything and hid.
I stopped going outside, stopped talking with people. I was locked in this bubble and was too afraid to come out of it. When we lost our housing I didn’t have a place to go.”
Nora and her mom lost their housing earlier this year. Nora’s uncle welcomed her mom into his home, but didn’t like Nora. Feeling unwelcomed at her uncle’s, Nora couch-surfed, then moved in with her boyfriend’s family. But this was not a long-term solution. Her boyfriend had an idea: Coffee Oasis. “They helped me, so get help from them,” he said.
Nora met up with a Coffee Oasis case manager, Raquel. Nora had been awarded a Section 8 housing voucher, and with Raquel’s help she moved into an apartment of her own! With this new stability, Nora now had a little bit of hope. In May she completed job prep classes and then worked at an Oasis job internship at St Vincent de Paul in Bremerton. She enjoyed the work, and the experience was pivotal.
“The work internship gave me the confidence I needed. When I started I was so depressed, thinking ‘I could never get a job.’ And then the internship helped me see that I could do it.”
And she did! Two days later, Nora applied at a restaurant and was hired! Her future is now filled with hope and belief.
“It all just boils down to taking small steps. No one can change their life in an instant.
It’s scary but you have to take that step. I can set these goals for myself and realize that I can do it. The Coffee Oasis has been positive guidance for me, that little push I needed.”
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