"You might be paralyzed," words that Leidys Suarez heard after falling down a staircase and breaking her neck. Leidys had the determination to walk again and she recovered from her injury. Her strength and courage have led her to rise above a life full of challenges.

Leidys did not speak any English when she came to New York in 2002. She traveled to the U.S. with her two boys, Jean Carlos and Miguel Angel to live with her husband, Demostenes. She moved thousands of miles away from everything that was familiar, leaving behind close family and friends.

Leidys first came to Highbridge to learn English. She demonstrated her skills and was quickly hired to be a receptionist for Highbridge, a position she holds today. Her sons participate in the Get and Give after school program. Jean Carlos and Miguel Angel enjoy playing chess, checkers, drawing, painting, and mostly playing the violin. Jean Carlos was accepted into the Music Advancement Placement (MAP) program at Juilliard; and Miguel Angel will be auditioning next year. The Today Show recently did a feature story on the boys and their violin playing! In fact, the Today Show gave Jean Carlos and Miguel Angel a full year of private lessons and brand new violins! Leidys’ spirit of determination lives in her children

Nothing will get in the way of Leidys reaching her dreams. She found out that she could not have more children so she decided to adopt a child from the Dominican Republic. Leidys’ strength and determination is contagious to all those who meet her.

Muchas gracias por su ejemplo de coraje, Leidys!