Strength and perseverance

Iggy is an independent and determined 18-year-old. He lives on Vancouver Island with his mom, Carol, and his father, “Big” Iggy. His interests are computers, swimming, kayaking and hockey. He’s an active member of his community, his school, and has a quick and witty sense of humour.

In April, “Little” Iggy will be 19 years old and work is underway on the transition of services. He and his family have been working on his transition to adult services with staff from CLBC, his high school, the Band and service providers.

“Iggy is incredibly active and well-known in his community and in his school,” says his mother. “He has been very involved in making sure the local community is accessible for people with disabilities. It’s important to us that these connections are maintained.”

It hasn’t been easy to plan for this transition. The family is thankful for the vision, support and perseverance of the people involved in the transition planning. They are helping connect Iggy with supports to attend university, find a job, and live independently while still being connected to his community and culture.

“My advice to other families is to start this process early. The resources are there, but you need to be proactive, take action, and be consistent and clear about the needs,” says Carol.

In the meantime, Iggy is working on being able to walk across the stage to accept his diploma in April when he graduates. Iggy uses his manual or electric wheelchair for most of his mobility needs, however he is determined to walk with the support of his walker on his graduation day. His mother has no doubt that he will succeed.

“We are very proud of him, and of the young man he’s become,” says Carol. “We’ve learned so much from him. He grounds us, and brings us back to the reality that it is the simple things in life that are most important.”