Building a Better New Orleans - Without Sterilization!

Sometimes you write these blogs and you are never really sure if someone is actually reading besides your friends. Apparently some people do. I received this email after Mr. LaBruzzo’s statements. I promised to post this story but I got sidetracked and forgot. I can't put anything else up here until I do this first. My apologies to Ms. Langdale not doing this when I first said I would.

Hi Cliff –

With all of the buzz about LaBruzzo's possible bill proposal going around, it's hard to remember the people that are facing Louisiana's problems head on and actually doing something to help build a new and better New Orleans, instead of just making the it infertile. Being a New Orleanian, I thought you might be interested in a local girl that is now receiving national recognition for the work she's done to rebuild the city - Sarah Trahan.

For the last 3 years, Sarah dedicated herself to rebuilding her home city of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. With the help of her parents, she turned her local church into a relief organization for those who had lost their homes as a result of the hurricane. As a relief worker, Sarah realized that many of the local children affected by the Hurricane were receiving little to no therapy for the life-changing events that they had seen unfold. It was at this point that Sarah realized her true passion, leading her to enroll in the College of Psychology at McNeese University. Sarah didn’t just survive the disaster and help with the recovery – she allowed the unfortunate circumstance to change and shape her life for the better. She is truly remarkable.

In honor of her efforts to fight for a just cause, Ortho Women’s Health & Urology recently named Sarah Trahan the September “It Girl” – an award for winning their It Girl Essentials contest. The contest sought to identify the ultimate real-life “It Girls” who embody confidence, reliability, compassion and a little bit of flair. I’ve provided some key information about the contest below.

If Sarah’s story and recent award is of interest to you and your readers, please feel free to contact me. I am happy to provide photos and more detailed information for you to share with readers on Cliff's Crib.

Sincerely,
Sarah

Fleishman-Hillard, on behalf of 2008 Ortho Women’s Health & Urology

Sarah Trahan

Age: 22

City: Lake Charles, LA

A day in the life of Sarah ... After her hometown was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina during her freshman year of college, Sarah dedicated herself to rebuilding the metro New Orleans area. A few weeks later, her boyfriend’s hometown was destroyed by Hurricane Rita. With the help of her parents, Sarah worked to turn their local church into a relief organization for those who had lost their homes as a result of the hurricane. Sarah did her part as a relief worker and noticed an alarming trend among children in the metro New Orleans area: many were receiving little to no therapy for the life-changing events that they had seen unfold. It was at this point that Sarah realized her true passion, leading her to enroll in the College of Psychology at McNeese University.

What is important to Sarah? “My greatest desire is to see that children from impoverished families are able to receive mental health care at little to no cost. Coming from a family with five siblings, I know how much having someone to talk to helps.” After getting married in the Summer of 2007, Sarah also has a new priority in her life, her husband Josh: “With life taking yet another turn, this time for the better, we began to plan for our new life together. We discussed our plans for a family and took into consideration that I still had three years ahead of me in school, and decided that prescription birth control would be a responsible way to plan our family.”

What does Sarah consider her greatest accomplishment? Sarah has always loved the arts and is very proud to be a graduate of NOCCA (New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts). Her favorite hobby is painting, particularly images of the people of her beloved city of New Orleans.