Destiny Galvan-Montaño
There is nothing more inspirational and heartwarming than one sister’s love for another. In Destiny Galvan-Montaño’s case, her care and concern for her sister is beyond measure. Destiny’s younger sister, Gaby, has very special needs, including autism, severe mental retardation and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Destiny and her mother work together as a family to help Gaby live the most fulfilling life possible. In fact, the family is learning sign language in order to better communicate with Gaby who can’t speak because of her various health issues.
“I feel as if I’m Gaby’s voice, and when I talk to other youth about her and what I am going through, they open up about what they may be facing in their own lives,” Destiny said. “Sometimes when parents have a child that has mental health issues, they tend to focus all of their attention on that one child, and the other children don’t understand. I’m lucky because my mom always made sure we were strong as a family, but I can see where other children would struggle with where they fit in that type of situation.”
While helping with the care of her sister is a full-time job in and of itself, Destiny doesn’t let that deter her from volunteering her time at the Family Involvement Center to help other youth who may be struggling with similar family and mental health challenges. She also has volunteered her time throughout the community since the age of 11 (Destiny is now 16) to help wherever there is a need—from senior centers and libraries, to working with and caring for animals at a local sanctuary.
“I realized that I could help other youth in the mental health system deal with things that they may not be familiar with—the same types of issues I was dealing with at home in helping my little sister,” Destiny said. “I know I can educate others and support other teens and siblings by being someone they could identify with, as well as educating parents and helping them understand about how the siblings are affected. Sometimes having someone your own age who’s there to talk to you about a problem can be better than trying to explain your problem to an adult.”
Destiny is involved with many youth support groups, including MY LIFE and Youth Creating Change. Last year, she presented with MY LIFE at the Children’s National Federation Conference and shared her observations about the mental health system through her own personal experience with her sister. She feels that it is important to advocate for siblings, so that there may be more services and support incorporated into the behavioral health system for people like her.
“The important thing that people should know is that mental health issues affect the whole family,” Destiny said. “It takes everyone working together to find the answers and make a difference. Parents sometimes think that kids don’t understand, but we really do. Our life is your life, just in a different perspective.”
