Welina Me Kealoha
It’s with great honor that I introduce myself. My name is Lehua Chang. I am a Maui Independent Living Specialist (for the Maui Wildfire Recovery) with Aloha Independent Living Hawaii. I was born and raised on the island of Molokai by my maternal grandparents. I am a Molokai High alumnus graduating in 1998 and later graduating with an associate degree in liberal arts and ASC in Hawaiian Studies from The University of Maui Molokai Campus.
A wise person once told me that experience is the best teacher. When I was in my teen years my grandmother suffered a stroke that impaired her mobility and speech. Living on Molokai at the time, resources were limited. We as a family had to get creative in how we were going to help her gain back her independence. Physical therapy was done at home on a table that my grandfather built, dancing hula while holding on to a chair to gain strength in her legs. Using a tape recorder and children’s stories to help gain her ability to speak again, signing her signature over and over again to gain back strength in her hand. These were difficult times for our family. There were very limited resources for stroke victims on Molokai. Some years later I moved to Maui where I currently live with my spouse who has cognitive disabilities. These experiences make me more qualified to serve our disabled community.
WIth the struggles comes rewards and I make it my personal goal to serve our disabled community with aloha, dignity and compassion, I ensure that I will make my voice heard for those voices that are silenced. I am committed to helping my consumers reach their goals of independence through the mission of Aloha Independent Living Hawaii. Mahal
