Cheshire Home popped in on Miracle Caswell at her new home in Skillman, New Jersey. She had just celebrated her 26th birthday and she was wearing her trademark smile. After spending four years as a resident at Cheshire Home, Miracle has been living independently since June 2021 and was excited to catch up.
Miracle was the victim of a drive by shooting while picking up her infant son at her sister’s house. The bullet entered her shoulder and injured her spinal cord leaving her a paraplegic. After leaving the hospital, she had a brief stay at Kessler, before arriving at Cheshire Home in 2017.
Miracle never lost hope and always held on to her dream of living an independent future. She recalled waking up in the hospital to find out she was paralyzed. Always the optimist, she said it was a hard pill to swallow, but with her family by her side and a hill to climb, she started on her journey to independence.
Since being on her own, she now gets herself in and out of bed. “My mom taught me,” she said. Prior to leaving Cheshire Home, the staff worked with Miracle’s mom to teach her how to assist Miracle in bed to chair transfer and vice versa. Only a few months later and Miracle can now transfer in and out of bed by herself.
Miracle recently took her first step unassisted by a physical therapist. She has been fitted and is expecting delivery of a leg brace that gives her the ability to walk with only the assistance of a walker. This is big news after being in a wheelchair for years!
Miracle stated she is grateful for the time she spent at Cheshire Home, the relationships she had with the staff and some of the residents helped her through her recovery. “The staff made it better for me,” she said. “Bill (Cheshire Home Physical Therapist) had a big impact on me. He was like a dad.”
Cheshire Home has been changing lives for 40 years and we are so proud to be part of Miracle’s story. We wish her all the best as she continues towards her goal of walking. The Cheshire Family is behind you all the way!
To help a resident like Miracle, and to learn more about Cheshire Home, visit http://www.cheshirehome.org.