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Easterseals Midwest
Person in a wheelchair smiling, wearing a floral print top and pink glasses.

Kaylee Finds Herself

She once stayed on the edge, watching and waiting. Now she asks questions. She tries.

With a lot of hard work, and the proper support, Kaylee is discovering what she can do and who she can become.

Kaylee Hall

Kaylee Hall knows what she likes. Art. Time with others. Freshly painted nails. Small pleasures, clearly named, held close.

That wasn’t always the case.

When she first came to Easterseals Midwest, she was still in high school and very shy. She stayed close to the edges of rooms. She listened more than she spoke. Her mother, Lisa, remembers how hesitant she was to connect, how carefully she measured each step ahead.

Kaylee joined Easterseals hoping to find a job someday. What she found first was space to grow.

In Pre-Employment Group Services, something shifted. Slowly at first. Then more visibly. The shy silence gave way to conversation. The instinct to step back turned into a willingness to try. “I can’t do that,” became, “Okay… let’s figure it out.”

That change didn’t happen to Kaylee. She worked hard for it.

Staff noticed how she began advocating for herself, naming what she wanted, asking questions, seeing her own potential take shape. She wasn’t only building job skills, but also building trust in herself. Muscle memory for independence.

Today, Kaylee speaks up. She connects a lot easier. She knows her future belongs only to her, even as she continues to grow with support right next to her.

Her mom sees it, too. A daughter more confident. More open and more herself.

Kaylee’s story is about momentum, not a finish line in sight. The kind of momentum that begins faint, strengthens with practice, and carries forward. A young woman discovering not only what she can do, but who she can become.

And she’s only just beginning.

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