PALS is not an organization that is widely talked about in Toledo, Ohio where I go to college to study nursing and disability studies. Even my disability studies advisor gave us a list of organizations to participate in and PALS was not there. Thankfully, I was able to find PALS another way. My PALS journey started in the labor and delivery unit of the hospital where I work as a nursing student in my first year of college. I had just witnessed my very first birth of a beautiful baby boy who happened to have Down syndrome. I watched as my attending physician handed these brand new parents a letter from PALS. I couldn’t read the contents of that letter, but what I saw in those parents' faces when they opened that letter was life changing. Their eyes lit up and they stared at their newborn baby with love and pride. After watching that beautiful moment, I knew I had to be a part of whatever organization that was. I asked someone what the letters were, and they explained to me that it was called The Congratulations Project. I went on to do research on my own and discovered what PALS Programs was. I signed up for PALS Cleveland which was only 3 hours from my hometown.

When I arrived at camp at PALS Cleveland, I didn’t know anyone or much of anything about PALS other than The Congratulations Project. But after that one week, I was hooked on PALS love. On that Friday of PALS, we participated in The Congratulations Project. Participants then stood and read their letters, and my heart has never been so full. Hearing the Partners and Peers talk about their experience and lives filled with joy and happiness guaranteed not a dry eye in the room. It was that day I knew I had to continue with PALS. 2 days later, I was driving to Chicago to partake in PALS Chicago which was another life changing week.

PALS reached me in an interesting way and I will forever be thankful to that family and that hospital for bringing me to PALS.