I was eleven years old, away from my mother, and scared in a hospital bed (from falling out of a tree), at a prominent Los Angeles County hospital. As I lay in the hospital bed, about 15 to 20 staff members surrounded me. "Look at her eyes," he said, "they keep moving back and forth”. I was born with bilateral nystagmus, and it has wreaked havoc in my life as far back as I can remember.

" My heart sank. I was a child in a place that was supposed to care for me, instead I was emotionally tormented and violated. I was born this way. It wasn't something I chose, something I could control. Yet, they spoke of me as if I wasn't even in the room, as if I didn't have feelings—nor did they care. I began to cry. The emotional pain was unbearable.

"He won't approve that," a man in my hospital room muttered. I had no idea who "he" was, but the fear that gripped me was palpable. Two staff members grabbed me and put me on a gurney. The two staff members along with the others that surrounded my bed ran alongside me as I was pushed down the hallway, my cries ignored. I felt like a specimen, a thing to be examined, not a child.

They shoved me into a small room; I felt so powerless and helpless. I was crying profusely. One of the staffers said, "look to the left," in a commanding voice. I refused, tears streaming down my face. "Look to the left!" he repeated, his voice now more bone chilling. Terrified, I obeyed, he then poured water in my right ear. Then he said, "look to the right!" and he poured water in my left ear, while a room full of so-called adults watched this happen. He then said, “no change”. The memory of that day continues to haunt me to this day.

As an adult, I encountered similar insensitivity. I was subjected to insensitive remarks and disparaging comments from coworkers. These experiences fueled my desire to create a different kind of workplace, a place where everyone feels valued, respected, and heard.

Imagine your child, children, or grandchildren, innocent and vulnerable, subjected to such an emotionally traumatizing violation. Would you want them to feel invisible, their feelings dismissed as insignificant, dehumanized? Would you want them to enter a workplace where their abilities were questioned, their potential undermined all based on some implicit biases?

As a newly founded nonprofit organization in San Bernardino, CA, I am asking for your support and donations to help us at Discarded By Society create a workplace that reshapes the narrative for those who so often go unnoticed and undervalued in our communities. We believe in the power of creating and maintaining an inclusive workplace where everyone who wants to work, but has been met with societal barriers, has a chance to thrive.

We cannot do this without your help. Your donations will help with initial startup cost encompassing securing office space, computers, jobs for sight challenged individuals, physically challenged individuals, older workers, veterans, justice impacted individuals, individuals in recovery from substance use disorder, and free counseling for those in recovery from substance use disorders. We have the power to create a world where everyone, regardless of their differences, is celebrated. A world where every individual is given the opportunity to shine- from Discarded to Empowered. Thank you in advance for your contribution.

Break The Silence Virtual Walk/Run/Roll 5K

By Discarded By Society

Break The Silence Virtual Walk/Run/Roll 5K

Together we can reduce the stigma

Team Members