Author: Lauren Blair

Tom and Karisa

Empowering Others to Serve: How Tom and Karisa Schreck View Their Long-Term Support of Kupenda’s Mission

by Lauren Blair

  • Posted on January 19, 2023

For the past 14 years, I have had the privilege of knowing and doing life with some of my dearest friends and neighbors, Tom and Karisa Schreck. Tom is a software engineer and former board member of one of Kupenda’s nonprofit supporters, Adventures for the Cure. Karisa is a neurologist at Johns Hopkins Hospital, who…



Leah Battillo

ā€œThe True Value of Educating and Advocating for Othersā€: An Interview with Kupenda’s New Board Chair, Leah Battillo

by Lauren Blair

  • Posted on December 20, 2022

This month, I had the privilege of interviewing Leah Battillo, a special education teacher, board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA), and current Kupenda board chair. Last year, after deciding to step down from 12 years of board service (mostly as chairperson) to work as a program consultant for Kupenda, it was a privilege to transfer this meaningful…



When the Law Does Not Empower People with Disabilities to Make Decisions About Their Lives

by Lauren Blair

  • Posted on November 4, 2022

One of the most fundamental human rights is the ability to make decisions regarding one’s own life. Yet for many people with disabilities, this right is not fully recognized by the governments or courtsĀ of law that preside over the communities in which they live. The ā€œright to legal capacityā€ is when a government recognizes a…



Marlin in front of her home

“I Have Peace of Mind and Soulā€: Parenting a Child With Hydrocephalus

by Lauren Blair

  • Posted on September 15, 2022

In 2005, Zawadi gave birth to a little girl named Marlin. Instead of responding with joy, her husband responded in anger–beating Zawadi until he chased her away. This is because, soon after birth, Marlin contracted meningitis which led to hydrocephalus, a condition that causes fluid to accumulate around the brain and interfere with healthy growth…



A young Moses outside in his village

Making the Most of Life with Moses

by Lauren Blair

  • Posted on August 22, 2022

Moses is 7-year-old boy who is a natural entertainer. Not only is he known for his own optimistic attitude, but also for the ways he shares his joy with others. Yet Moses’ life did not start out so positively. As a child, Moses experienced challenges with both hearing and mobility. He was not able to…



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