When you’re raising a toddler, pregnant with your second child and the doctor says you have a tumor, it can feel like the air has been knocked out of your lungs.
“I was terrified,” Laura Welch Sokalski, Theta Phi—University of Tampa, remembers. “I was 16 weeks pregnant when I had surgery. I needed an eight week recovery and my job did not offer short-term disability.”
Laura had already used her paid leave to care for her oldest daughter who has cerebral palsy and a rare form of epilepsy. Behind on bills and heavy in debt, Laura’s Tampa Bay Alumnae Chapter sisters suggested that Laura apply for a SIS Grant from the Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation.
“I look at that moment as a defining point in my life,” Laura shares. “Because of the SIS Grant, I was able to catch up on bills and take time to recover.”
As we embark on a new year, be sure to take time to reflect on your many blessings, and please remember sisters like Laura who are able to spend the year celebrating theirs! Donations to the Foundation ensure SIS Grants are available for more sisters in the upcoming year.
From the bottom of Laura’s heart to yours, thank you!