Lani Alton is a young woman confined to a wheelchair because of cerebral palsy.
A society was set up in 2008 to assist her to meet her needs and create a desirable quality of life. At that time Lani did not have her own home with secure funding and her dream of living independently seemed almost impossible.
In 2008 Lani could be seen in the blistering sun and the driving rain in front of the office of the local MLA, lobbying for adequate funding for her own care. Life has improved greatly for Lani since then. With the support of family, friends and community the Lani Alton Society was set up and a microboard of directors established. Community Living BC came through with secure funding and Lani was able to move into her own apartment.
Over the past four years with the support of the microboard, Lani has been able to improve her housing, and access health services that help her manage her chronic pain, improve her ability to communicate and expand her community connections.
“As a member of the microboard we take on the formal tasks of fundraising and advocacy that are important to ensure Lani’s needs are met and her vision of an independent life is supported. What has been inspiring for me is sharing Lani’s journey towards a more independent life,” says microboard chair David Stapley.
“When Lani’s housing and support needs are met she has more freedom to work on overcoming the physical challenges that restrict her ability to communicate. She has greatly improved her verbal communication and her use of electronic communication tools,” says microboard member Kel Kelly.
The microboard is looking for some new members who would like the opportunity to get to know Lani and participate with other members to support her in the tasks of advocating and fundraising. The job is often fun, and watching Lani move toward independence is very rewarding.
The microboard operates informally, meeting in Lani’s home once per month. If you are interested, contact David Stapley (250-897-1271) or Kel Kelly (250-337-8348).
— Lani Alton microboard