Alex’s Story – Gaining Independence ( FVBIA)

At the age of 12, Alex was walking in the community of Logan Lake when she was struck by a truck, sustaining a serious brain injury and multiple body fractures.

As an FVBIA case manager, I first met Alex in August of 2016 at a local coffee shop. It was a very hot summer day. I had no idea about Alex’s story, but she showed up for our appointment after walking in the afternoon heat for 45 minutes. That was the first indication of just how strong and motivated she was to get on with her life.

She shared a very complicated story about her life including the death of both parents and some learning struggles although she was able to graduate from high school. In addition to a brain injury and chronic pain from the accident, Alex also struggled with significant mental health issues.

Given a different set of cards to play, she would likely have been a missionary travelling the world and helping people. She enrolled at Summit Pacific College and travelled to Southern Brazil as part of a ministry.

Upon her return, she stayed in the dorms at Summit as she was essentially homeless. There, she found a wonderful, strong support system and worked hard to graduate in 2019. One of her main goals was to gain independence and live on her own despite the significant brain injury and mental health struggles.

Four years later, Alex shares that she now lives in her own apartment with her cat, Minx, learning to cook, manage money and practice healthy habits. Alex is an active member in FVBIA and enjoys painting, playing guitar, reading and as a regular contributor to FVBIA’s Writer’s Bullpen.

With funding from The Alliance through the Dr. Gur Singh fund, Alex completed an online course in creative writing and a community Food Safe course (scoring 94/100!). She volunteers at The Reach Art Gallery in Abbotsford and remains excited, positive and strong.