“Every face has a story to tell”

Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror and asked who have I become? The Amanda of today has a powerful message for the Amanda of yesterday—LOVE YOURSELF. In this ultimate love story, she speaks of her journey back to herself guided by self-love. Amanda has defeated depression, domestic violence, grief, family conflicts and self-described biggest hurdle—herself. When she lost everything, she went within and found the greatest love of all.

Erick is a living and breathing definition of a survivor that has used his way of coping with life to celebrate the very thing that makes him so different—his creativity. Using his strengths, Erick has become a husband, father and music recording artist and producer—achieving personal and professional goals that have contributed to great personal fulfillment. Erick’s sense of adventure, unending positivity and creativity also pave the way for whatever is next and we excitedly await those outcomes.

A self-proclaimed “King of UNO,” singer, dancer, video game enthusiast and all-around great man, Fabian is the unimaginable comeback story. While the world was at a standstill during the COVID 19 pandemic, something shifted deep inside Fabian, and he traveled to a dark place due to the challenges posed by living with autism spectrum disorder and the sudden change in his everyday routine. With the support of his friends, family and treatment team, Fabian was able to rediscover himself and is doing better than ever.

Never judge a book by its cover, we cannot assume anything about a person just by looking at them. John lives his life in living color, where he has hopes, dreams and even fears—just like anyone else having a human experience. John’s story speaks of independence, self-determination, accountability and radical self-acceptance in the face of people, places and things that seek to limit him.

A young woman from West Harlem, Kemani has a lot of hopes and dreams. While showing up as a shy girl, people are surprised to know that she loves to dance, make new friends, spend time with her family and have fun. Never fazed by limitations that others place on her, once she has broken the ice, Kemani excels and shines in the ways that make her different and special.

Like most mothers, Lillian has made tough life decisions and sacrifices for her family. Though this mother raised both of her daughters with a lot of love, traditional values and a no-nonsense attitude, her neurotypical daughter and Sonya, daughter living with special needs, defined her spirit of unconditional love. After losing the neurotypical daughter to domestic violence, Lillian’s commitment to mothering became stronger than ever—continuing to provide ongoing care to her orphaned grandchildren, Sonya and Desha, her only niece. One would think that after many setbacks that Lillian would be jaded, but she’s quite the opposite. Lillian serves as an inspiration and beacon of light to parents and caregivers, often encouraging others to believe in their loved ones and never give up.

A Yonkers resident, Nancy has defied all odds in her pursuit of happiness. A single mother, Nancy has defeated domestic violence, poverty, family strife and untreated mental illness—all while coping with her own mental health conditions and life as she knows it. Today, Nancy has successfully raised her two sons in the midst of excelling in her work and chasing aspirations of becoming an esthetician. With all that she has learned about herself and others in her healing journey, what’s next for Nancy?

What do you do when you hear and see things that others do not? For Richard, experiencing an alternate view of reality is a part of his daily life, but does not define who he is as a person. Though a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder is a condition that Richard lives with, he shares his unique story filled with interesting twists and turns, love and laughter that lends itself to a very human experience that we all can relate to in one way or another.

In the northeast Bronx lives a young woman on a mission to lead a more independent life. Shirley’s mental health condition and intellectual disability have posed some challenges to her goals, however, her strengths shine through in all that she does. As Shirley travels the road to greater independence, can she overcome the mental opposition that affects her and achieve the life of her dreams?

What if we told you that those who cannot speak can be heard the loudest? For a woman who has been classified as “nonverbal,” Sonya has a lot to say with her larger-than-life personality and unforgettable presence. Sweet and sassy, Sonya makes sure that the world takes notice of her unique expressions with the support of her best friend, her mother, Lillian.

After raising her two children, Stephanie never imagined that she would be raising a grandchild as well but, in her eyes, she would not have it any other way. When Stephanie learned that her only granddaughter Kemani was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and observed that she needed more specialized care, she stepped in and took her granddaughter on as her own child. From birth, Kemani presented unique needs and even though Stephanie has many grandchildren, she vowed to make sure that Kemani could have all that she needed to become the best that she could possibly be despite obstacles in support and services. A true New Yorker and woman of faith, Stephanie’s love and fierce fighting spirit can be seen and felt in the fight for the best in Kemani’s life.

Though Tashein was born to be a star, various people, social service agencies and even his own biological and foster parents gave up on Tashein, throwing him away, thinking that he would not amount to anything in life. Because the world has treated him terribly, he did not value himself either. Through his healing journey, Tashein has gained the courage to increase his confidence and self-worth. Today, he has grown into a man who loves to disappoint those who misunderstand and underestimate him, destroying expectations and stereotypes…and he is just getting started.

Against all odds presented to Victor at birth, he has survived and currently thrives in the Bronx. Though many have doubted him due to his personal life circumstances, Victor has eliminated stigmas associated with physical and intellectual disabilities by working, living in his own apartment, dating, traveling and pursuing all his heart’s desires. Victor has proven so much to others as well as himself, as he continues to use his strengths to overcome life’s challenges to maximize his full potential.

A wonderful sister, supporter and friend, Zorian thought she was Fabian’s biggest cheerleader when it was the other way around the whole time. As her eldest brother, his strange behavior often scared her. Inspired by his unique characteristics, Zorian felt challenged to learn more about Fabian’s conditions and began learning more about them in college. After gaining a deeper understanding, today, circumstances have come full circle: they are the best of friends with Fabian expressing great love, pride and support for his little sister who is completing her college education on the way to help others that live lives like her brother.