One Life-changing Experience Leads To Another
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Every now and again, two special people meet and the most unlikely thing happens. Such is the case with Jana Sanford and Corey Carney. Even crossing paths with each other seemed unlikely. A few years back, Jana was studying art at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, and Corey was attending Virginia State University in Petersburg, Virginia.
Fast forward to today and the pair are co-founders of Little Angels Atlanta, a non-profit organization that provides free trips to Florida for children with special needs to participate in a Swim with the Dolphins program. How did this come about? Unsettled with their chosen career paths, each decided to change directions, and both enrolled in the same Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program. Fate converged at Brown Mackie College ― Atlanta.
"Classmates become family pretty quickly," says Corey. "We're all going through the same thing and it's easy to get close. We depend on each other." After sharing a few classes, Jana and Corey discovered several mutual interests. Both were determined to find ways to gain OTA experience while studying to enter the field and both wanted to give back to the community.
Jana, who is expecting her first child, works as a nanny while going to school. She cares for four children, two with special needs. With family in Florida, she visits often. "The Florida Keys and the therapeutic Swim with the Dolphins programs have always been close to my heart," she says. "I look forward to working in pediatrics, and we decided if we're going to give back to the community, then who better to provide this amazing service for than local children. We decided to incorporate the two." Thus, Little Angels Atlanta began.
The mission of Little Angels is to raise money to send needy families with special needs children to the Florida Keys to participate in life-changing Swim with the Dolphins programs. Corey and Jana work with two non-profit facilities in Florida to make the trips happen. The Dolphin Research Center in Marathon and Island Dolphin Care in Key Largo offer specific programs, which enable the students to tailor each trip to the needs of each family.
Little Angels Atlanta offers a five-day therapeutic vacation for entire families of children with special needs. The organization pays for airfare, travel, accommodations, and the swim programs. The Florida facilities offer some program scholarship money, and the two students raise funds to complete each family package.
The first fundraiser took place in August 2011. Drawing on her art background, Jana invited local artists to donate works for auction. An auction reception took place at Emerging Art Scene gallery in Atlanta. "It went well," says Corey. "People showed up and enjoyed themselves, and we got good reviews." The student philanthropists are now developing a mailing list and plan to reach out to colleges and hospitals for help and nominations.
Classes continue for the pair, each of whom expect to graduate in June 2012 with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant. "Many times I thought I couldn't do it." Never giving up, Jana has developed pride in herself for being able to do the work. Both Jana and Corey express appreciation for the close-knit environment of the Brown Mackie College — Atlanta campus. "Everyone has been very supportive from day one," says Corey, who has learned that he is more caring of others than he previously wanted to admit.
"A shout out goes to Alisha Wright, OTA Department Chair, and Donisha Jones, Field Work Coordinator and OTA instructor for always taking time to talk and showing unending support for the students' cause," says Corie. "I would also like to acknowledge Mr. Clifford Johnson in Career Services at Brown Mackie College ― Atlanta. He has been a true inspiration to us." Brown Mackie College ― Atlanta has proven to be a life-changing experience for two special people who embrace a new professional future of helping others.
The occupational therapy assistant program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220. ACOTE's telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA.