Hello! I am Sherrie Larch, I live in a small rural town with little resources and job opportunities for people with disabilities and limitation. I am raising money for myself to start all over again. I am looking into starting my own business with the skills I have or relocating to another area with better job opportunities and a better medical care system or do both.
Backstory:
I cared for my mom for a little over three years (from late May 2019 to her passing on June 29, 2022). Watching my mom's decline and death from vascular dementia was heartbreaking and traumatic. Caring for a loved one through illness is a profound experience that leaves lasting impacts that you can never predict or prepare for. I have been in the processes of trying to start over my life after this scorched earth event, on my own and its been extremely hard. I was diagnosed with prolonged grief and PTSD in August 2022.
Mom and Me in happier times:
Also, I have a condition called bilateral talocalcaneal coalitions in both feet. Bilateral talocalcaneal coalition is a genetic condition affecting the feet, where there is an abnormal connection between the talus and calcaneus bones in both feet.
I also have nerve issues coming from my spine (childhood injury or genetic) that has been discovered recently but apparently has been around for decades and not sure what this means for future. Both conditions puts limitations on lifting and standing too long.
Recent Employment Issues:
I have been doing care-giving on and off for decades. I work as a private and an IHSS caregiver in Modoc and Siskiyou County. Caregiving is a noble profession that provides essential support to those in need, which is why I love the work. However, it can be challenging to find consistent work, especially in this area where job opportunities are limited and connecting with clients is challenging. This has been the issue for me, jobs are few and far between lately because of too many caregivers not enough clients and connecting with clients, and those jobs that come up are temporary, lack hours or the client requires a caregiver that can fully lift them, duo to my own limitations, I can no longer do this safely for the client and myself.
From August 2022 to January 2023, I had the opportunity to work as a Charter Spectrum Residential Connectivity Specialist. The job gave me freedom to be outside and around people which helped my grieving journey and my physical health. This role not only allowed me to apply my creativity, people skills and customer service abilities but also taught me valuable lessons about adaptability and resilience.
My Charter Spectrum Sales Graduation: https://youtu.be/PiTnGO3uol0?si=rq2xTHN9Zo3gVxfn
On September 2022, I encountered an unexpected challenge when I was involved in a citizen's arrest, the couple held me for almost two hours for walking in their neighborhood, I had not even knocked on their door but they took offense that I was knocking doors in their neighborhood. This incident was a significant personal hurdle, requiring me to navigate the fear of it happening again. But I still tried to focus, it did affect my sales some.
On January 1. 2022, another challenge arose when I was involved in a car accident due to extreme icy conditions on the job, I almost flipped in a field. This accident not only took me off the job for days but affected my ability to perform my duties due to the fear of driving on winter roads. I fought to get back me sales but I could not recover them and was forced to resign or be fired. I resigned on January 23, 2023. I still mourn having that job because it was going to give me a future, helped me get outside and I would not be on here asking for help if I still had it.
My car after ice wreck:
In February 2024, I embarked on a new journey as a behavior technician, a role that allowed me to work with children with learning differences, using ABA therapy techniques. Having worked several temporary and low-hour caregiving jobs for months, I was excited to step into a position that offered the possibility of future stability, full time work and learning a new skill. On June 7, 2024, an unexpected incident of a child having a severe outburst occurred that changed the course of the job and caused a knee injury. The injury caused the loss of the job but may have helped find the spinal issue that has been happening for decades without detection by causing enough new issues with my bilateral talocalcaneal coalitions to get seen by the right doctor. But I am still in the process of getting a worker's comp settlement and making a living.
I also have experience as a digital artist and photographer but after COVID online sales went down to zero because the sites dictate the cost, which I understand but again other skills that is no longer useful in my life until people recover from those years.
My Facebook Pages:
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Sherrie Larch
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Tulelake, CA