One Woman's Journey - Michelle

The youngest of 5 children, Michelle was the “baby” of her family. Never knowing her father, she shared a special closeness with her mother. When Michelle was just 17 years old, she lost her mother to a years-long battle with cancer. This sent Michelle reeling. She began to suffer from a deep depression that would upend her life for many years to come.

When her marriage ended and she lost all contact with her daughter and grandchildren, Michelle realized that her life had completely unraveled. “They were my entire world. What I had left anyway. The thought of suicide crossed my mind.” Michelle realized that she needed help. She wanted to live and to be present in her own life. To follow in her mother’s footsteps. Michelle mustered up all the courage she had and asked for help. She found it at Lake County Haven.

It hasn’t been easy. The pandemic. An unexpected but necessary surgery. Finding employment when so many businesses are closed. But Michelle is a fighter. Despite it all, she’s not giving up. She has worked with her case manager to begin healing herself from the inside and learning to manage her depression. She even has a full-time job lined up for when she is recovered from her surgery. And perhaps the best of all, she has taken this time to reconnect with her daughter and grandchildren. “She and I have the relationship I’ve always dreamed of. It’s amazing.”