Success Stories

For some, just one surgery can change a life forever. For Indianapolis native Sean Toth, surgeries are normal and frequent. The 51-year-old has had 346 surgeries in his life, many resulting from Type IV Hereditary Dysautonomia Neuropathy, a disease that affects his immune and central nervous systems. “Left leg, right foot below the knee, right…

Chanel Bradshaw gave birth to her daughter Viqtouria when she was only 16 years old. It’s difficult to become a parent as a teenager, but Chanel quickly had to learn how to become a caregiver as well.  “Viqtouria started having seizures when she was just four months old,” Chanel said. “She’s 13 now, but she…

There are lots of good days. The days when Jeremy and Amanda Brehm take Jonah to the Indianapolis Zoo and watch as their 3-year-old presses his little hands against the glass trying to get the attention of the orangutans. It’s a good day when the family walks around the zoo, Jonah on Jeremy’s shoulders, just…

When she was only 19 years old, Nancy Mummert lost her child, her ability to walk, and the ability to have children. Giving up, however, was not an option for her. The list of repercussions from the car wreck that changed everything was long and also included overall muscle weakness, poor balance and poor range…

Cooking for one isn’t easy, especially when you’ve spent a lifetime sitting around a big family table passing heaping bowls of green beans, carrots and corn you’ve grown in the garden. Bessie Bell has good memories of those days, growing up the baby of ten siblings. She remembers her dad’s big garden, her mom canning…

Scott and Mandy Long describe August and September as “their season.” It’s an emotional time of year for them—their son Crew was born in August 2014, and passed away in September 2017. This year, like last year, they had a birthday party and a cake to celebrate his life. Crew was Scott and Mandy’s third…

Carleen Carter, 70, has lived in the Crown Hill neighborhood of Indianapolis for 60 years, and she considers her involvement in the community to be one of her biggest joys. Now it’s the community’s turn to help her out. On Sept. 28, 25 volunteers will be doing home modification projects at her house as a…

CICOA had a challenge on its hands. It’s the kind of challenge every nonprofit would love to have: too many volunteers. In 2018, Dan Amonett, certified aging in place specialist, was coordinating the work of more than 150 volunteers to improve safety at 20 homes in the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood during CICOA’s ninth annual Safe at…

When she started as a care manager at CICOA, Mr. B was the first client on Lara’s caseload. He had yet to start any services, and Lara was fresh out of grad school, eager but naïve about the difficulties awaiting both of them. Mr. B and his wife, Jennifer, were desperate to begin respite home health…

Last year, when 71-year old Eunice’s air conditioner broke, she had to endure the rest of the hot summer with only a fan. She was thankful for the fan, stating that “every little bit helped,” but she is even more thankful that CICOA is able to provide her with a new air conditioner this year.…