Diane Bouchelle and Ella are a perfect pair it seems. Ella, now nearly a year old, squeals with laughter as her grandmother flips her in the air and tickles, her making cooing noises as they play.
All in all, it’s a miracle Diane can play with her granddaughter at all. Before she was born, Ella’s mother was addicted to some pretty heavy drugs. It took the hospital a week to wean her off of the substances. Ella was born premature and was immediately placed in the NICU for several weeks. Diane never left the hospital while Ella was there.
“They took notes of when her mom was there and when I was there. They couldn’t believe I was there so much,” Diane said. “I’ve been there since the beginning.”
When Ella was released from the hospital, her mother was unable to care for her and she was placed with Diane on an emergency basis. “I am so lucky that HCC was there from the beginning,” She said. “You guys helped me find a better apartment so she could have her own room. Marty helped me get my finances in order and even brought me a recliner so I could rock (Ella) to sleep.”
Diane has been ecstatic that HCC has started having meetings in Ashe County on a regular basis again. “I hope more grandparents will come out,” she said. “There’s just so much camaraderie and it’s so important to be able to have that. To be able to discuss the different things you are going through with your grandchild.”
Through it all, Diane and Ella have been a dynamic duo, willing to take on any challenges that come their way. Ella is walking cautiously now, though she crawls at light speed most days. “We are just moving forward and doing our best,” Diane said as she watched her granddaughter toddle along, giggling with delight. “Looking back is not in our nature. We just have to make sure that the future is brighter than where we came from. Thanks to you guys it is.”