SUCCESS STORY

Florence Head Start

Mariah – Dealing with Illness 

Mariah was enrolled with Early Head Start in February. She was expecting her first baby and was living with her sister. The new mom-to-be was very excited that we would be doing prenatal visits with her weekly.

Mariah was diagnosed with Lymphoma Cancer during her pregnancy and was undergoing chemo every Thursday. Additionally, she had a history of depression.

Mariah was very impressed with our curriculum and enjoyed our time spent together. Through our discussion and chats about the importance of her well being, she agreed to meet with our Mental Health Provider Adriana. In addition to meeting with Adriana, she went to Pinal Hispanic on her own where she is receiving therapy.

Mariah is thankful to our program for insisting she take the first step toward a better peace of mind. She gave birth to a healthy baby boy Grayson. Mariah is cancer-free as of today and attends therapy weekly. Today, she is babysitting which she loves. “It gives me time with Grayson, so I will not miss any milestones in life”, Mariah says.

Mariah never gave up. She fought and beat her cancer. Sometimes she has good days and sometimes she finds herself alone but now she can talk about her feelings openly. She is our success story — strong and ready to take on new adventures with Early Head Start.