On March 31, 1990, Anastasia was born. Within a period of only 72 hours after her life began, Anastasia – who was born with Spina Bifida – went through two major surgeries.
Despite the many hardships she faced in life, Anastasia has remained resilient and kept a positive attitude. Due to her paralysis and cognitive impairments, some doctors believed she would never walk and would never graduate high school. Not only did Anastasia defy these odds by learning to walk with crutches and braces, but she also graduated high school and took her education even further, obtaining two College Diplomas.
Anastasia chose to leave her hometown of Stittsville – where she lived with her parents – to live on her own in Sudbury when her career prospects here seemed scarce.
With two degrees in Hotel Management and Tourism, Anastasia was able to work in Sudbury. However, due to COVID-19, she lost her job and found herself unable to socialize.
Sadly, Anastasia recently faced further adversity when untreated pressure sores led to an infection in her paralyzed leg as well as her entire body. After seeking treatment at Health Sciences North Hospital in Sudbury on March 15th, it was determined the best course of action would be to amputate Anastasia’s right leg above the knee.
The March 17th surgery was a success, but due to the loss of her leg, Anastasia now has much more to overcome. Anastasia faces months of rehabilitation, which comes after she had to give up her apartment.
Wheelchair-accessible supportive housing is hard to come by. Anastasia has been working with her Social Worker to obtain a new home suitable for her needs, which has proven to be a difficult process.
Once she is able to find a new home, Anastasia will have many new expenses for the necessary assistive devices and furnishings to accommodate her new needs. Regardless of these hardships, Anastasia remains eager to be able to support herself and maintain her independence.
A GoFundMe campaign was recently launched to help financially support Anastasia. With a goal of raising $10,000, the campaign has just passed the halfway point. Started by her family, the campaign aims to show Anastasia that many are with her in spirit to show her love and support.
Anastasia maintains her positive attitude despite these new challenges. She is hopeful and determined to overcome these obstacles.
Anyone willing to offer their support to Anastasia is encouraged to visit her GoFundMe page.