Michelle

Among 10 graduates in the MYS Class of 2020, Michelle, 19, celebrated her achievement just one year after giving birth to son Ezra.

“I couldn’t have done it without my foster parents.”

Last year, 225 children and youth throughout Manitoba lived in safe and caring homes with specially trained foster families who helped youth set and achieve goals for healing, hope and better lives.

We know what the statistics are about children in care and we know graduating is a really big deal when you’ve walked a difficult journey, so we couldn’t be prouder”

– Myrna, foster parent

“When my mom wasn’t helping me with home schooling, she was helping with the baby.”

Mom is Myrna and Dad is Paul – the couple Michelle and her sister Mary, 20, have lived with since they were 5 and 6.

Michelle, in turn, helped Mary earn the math credit she needed after leaving school two years earlier, and the girls graduated from River East Collegiate together!

“We know what the statistics are about children in care and we know graduating is a really big deal when you’ve walked a difficult journey, so we couldn’t be prouder,” said Myrna.

Only two weeks after graduating, Michelle moved into her own apartment, where she’s learning to live independently and co-parent with Ezra’s dad.

The sisters remain close with Myrna and Paul, and visit often. Meanwhile the couple have continued their fostering journey and welcomed two more children into their home.