Dear Fellow resident,
I recently met Trinity Jagdeo, President and Founder of From We Can’t To We Can, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, at a local event. I found her story so inspiring that I wanted to share it with you.
Trinity – driven by a lifelong friendship with Alexus Dick, who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) – has dedicated herself to creating a more inclusive world for children with disabilities.
Trinity and Alexus have been inseparable since they were 5 years old. Their friendship has been a powerful force in both their lives, with Trinity recalling, “I was immediately drawn to Alexus’s fearless personality. Even though she used a wheelchair, she played hopscotch with other kids without a second thought.”
But as they grew older, Trinity became keenly aware of the obstacles Alexus faced. Her challenges were often overlooked, like the difficulty of emergency exits during fire drills and the shortage of accessible recreational activities. Trinity realized she couldn’t ignore these injustices, so she channeled her experiences into a remarkable cause.
In 2018, while still in high school, Trinity founded From We Can’t To We Can to break down barriers and inspire inclusion for kids like Alexus. Her charity aims to normalize disabilities by celebrating what children can do. They create storybooks featuring superhero characters based on real kids with disabilities and host inclusive events where children with disabilities can be in the spotlight, building confidence and pride in who they are while providing their families with a supportive community.
Additionally, From We Can’t To We Can offers financial support, including a free medical equipment program that gifts and connects medical equipment to children with disabilities who have been denied insurance coverage.
Over the years, From We Can’t To We Can has blossomed into a vital source of support for countless families. The organization hosts 10 to 12 events annually, such as sensory-friendly celebrations, book tours, and an inclusive Christmas event where sensory-friendly Santa experiences and gifts are provided to over 50 children in need.
The impact doesn’t stop at events. Through their Resource Recycler program, Trinity and her team have distributed more than $100,000 worth of essential medical equipment, including wheelchairs and specialty bicycles. Just last year, they connected a young girl with cerebral palsy with her first custom bike, allowing her to experience independent movement for the first time, a gift her family had dreamed of but couldn’t afford.
You can support this incredible charity in the following ways:
- Donate or sponsor: Every donation, large or small, goes a long way to fund inclusive events, free medical equipment, and the creation of new superhero stories. Contributions can be made on their website, https://www.wecant2wecan.org/donate.
- Volunteer: Events hosted by From We Can’t To We Can rely on local volunteers to create a memorable experience for attendees. Visit https://www.wecant2wecan.org/volunteer to sign up.
- Spread the word: Simply sharing their story helps raise awareness and supports their mission of inclusion and representation.
Trinity, through her devotion and creativity, has shown that making a difference starts with love, and her organization is a testament to that. “Our goal,” Trinity says, “is to be the ‘yes’ to people’s ‘no’s’ and make the impossible possible.”
