Dear World,

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities don’t usually get jobs like this.

︎

I want a car, a home, a wife and kids. Maybe someday, my own business. This dream never seemed like a reality, but now for the first time it could be.

I recently got a permanent job as a groundskeeper at a local hospital. I’m so proud! At this hospital, they treat people who, like me, have intellectual and developmental disabilities. I have fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and so I never thought I would be able to get such a good job, help support my mom and be able save money up.

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities don’t usually get jobs like this. I want to buy a car for my mom and I, she had to sell hers a few years back when our roof broke. I’m hoping to find an old Toyota Corolla from the 80’s, my favourite car from my favourite car brand. But now something has happened that I never expected.

When I heard about the numbers of people dying from COVID-19, it made me feel really depressed. I feel like it’s holding me back. I don’t know how far it will spread. When will lockdown end? It’s really scary because I’ve seen videos of people being hurt by the army who are here in lockdown. There are more gangsters in our neighborhood, they’re always standing on the street corners.

I worry about my mother. She also worries about me, that I’ll forget to do the things I need to do to stop the virus. She reminds me to wash my hands, my clothes, my mask when I get home, even though our work sent me and my colleagues for training.

We’re very close, my mom and me. She adopted me when I was three years old after my biological mother passed on. She’s looked after me so well for all my life. Things are bad now in the time of covid. But her and I, we keep hoping. I have my job, my plans for the future. I take it day by day.


Sincerely,

I Want a Future

My Toyota will be white.