Melanie was born with the cards stacked against her.

“Since day one, it was an ongoing struggle. When I was born, I was in the hospital for three months because I have cystic fibrosis. It’s like taking a bendy straw, and breathing through it all day so daily tasks require extraordinary effort. It’s extremely tiring and takes time out of the days, I take 50 pills a day.”

Handling health implications while in foster care requires a team of support. Melanie relied on her social worker, her grandmother, and her boyfriend to get her through the hard times. In December of 2017, she was hospitalized for several months in the midst of her senior year. With the incredible team of support at her disposal, she was able to get back on track and graduate with DCFS’ Disney Concert Hall graduating class of 2018.