Latest news with #LifeQuest
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Mitchell comes together for local woman battling ovarian cancer
Apr. 25—MITCHELL — When 24-year-old Tiffany Vobr of Mitchell was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer in January, her world changed overnight. She went from a schedule filled with work at Wendy's, Special Olympics sports and LifeQuest programming to undergoing chemotherapy sessions at Sanford Health in Sioux Falls. To help offset medical and travel expenses, Tiffany's family is hosting a community benefit on Saturday, April 26, at Thirsty's Bar in Mitchell. The event will feature a silent auction with over 50 items donated by local businesses, as well as a T-shirt sale and custom merchandise, including bracelets, pens and keychains branded with "Tiffany's Tribe." "The support has been amazing," said Austin Vobr, Tiffany's brother, who helped organize merchandise sales. "I sold out of the first box faster than I expected. People have really shown up for her." Tiffany is undergoing intensive chemotherapy — one seven-hour session every three weeks. So far, she has completed two rounds, though her second round was delayed due to a port infection. Her third and hopefully final round is scheduled for next week. If her scans look promising afterward, doctors will move forward with a hysterectomy that was originally planned for January. However, that surgery was postponed when doctors discovered the cancer had spread extensively throughout her abdomen during the first attempt. "She's tough," said her mother, Kristy Vobr. "She's handling it the best she can, but it's hard watching her be away from the people and things she loves most." Tiffany's life was once filled with practices, games and her job at Wendy's. She played basketball, bowling, softball and track with the Mitchell Special Olympics and the Sioux Falls Fireworks team — where she's known for her upbeat personality and determination. "She's always smiling and tries her best, no matter the sport," said Becky Brennan, a coach with the Fireworks. "She has such a kind heart — she always makes sure to say hi to everyone." Though chemotherapy has sidelined her from competing, Tiffany was able to walk in with her team at the recent Special Olympics basketball tournament held in Mitchell. "It meant the world to her," Kristy said. Her absence has been felt throughout the community — especially at LifeQuest, where she was a regular participant in activities and events, and at Thirsty's Wednesday night bingo, where she used to join in weekly. Tiffany tried attending recently, but the noise was too overwhelming. Still, Thirsty's is pitching in for the benefit, donating proceeds from $5 bingo cards to Tiffany's fund and providing light food for attendees. Kristy has even stepped in to bowl on Tiffany's Sunday night league. "I'm the better bowler, though," Tiffany said. The Vobr family is no stranger to this kind of fight. In 2011, Austin was diagnosed with leukemia. After five months and four rounds of chemo, he's now been cancer-free for 13 years. "Cancer sucks," Kristy said. "It's the hardest thing we've gone through as parents. No family should have to go through this twice." Still, despite the setbacks, Tiffany remains optimistic. Recently, she delayed one of her treatments by a day just so she could take her young nephew to the circus. She also picked out a new wig in a bright purple hue — her favorite color and a perfect match for her bold spirit. "She's had some really hard days, but she always bounces back," Kristy said. Looking ahead, Tiffany is hopeful that she'll be back on the field and court soon. After recovery, her goal is to return to sports and spend more time at LifeQuest — and maybe take a break from working to focus on what brings her joy. The benefit for Tiffany Vobr will take place Saturday, April 26, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Thirsty's, located at 1500 N. Duff in Mitchell. The silent auction will begin around 4:30 p.m., and bingo will run throughout the evening. All proceeds will support Tiffany's ongoing treatment and recovery.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
LifeQuest's mini home village to provide independent living for those with developmental disabilities
Mar. 6—MITCHELL — LifeQuest has requested the city of Mitchell be the sponsoring agency for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program to build four to six tiny houses. The houses, to be built on Eighth Avenue at North Gamble Street, will be independent living quarters for people with developmental disabilities and have remote overnight staff support. "It's going to provide an option for people (with developmental disabilities) to actually do something that they've never done before, and that's to have a home of their own," LifeQuest Executive Director Pam Hanna said during a regular Mitchell City Council meeting on Monday, March 3. The inquiry on Monday was only a discussion item for the council, but there will be a formal request by LifeQuest for the city to sponsor the community block grant on Monday, March 17 during the regular meeting of the city council. The project is estimated to cost somewhere between $1.5 million to $2 million, according to LifeQuest Development Director Brian Loken. The CDBG program will pay for an estimated half of the project, with the mini homes project competing against other applications for funding. LifeQuest will seek local fundraising for the project. "I think it's just having the same things in life that everybody else has," Hanna told the Mitchell Republic. "Most people have goals and dreams and desires, one of those is to have our own home. There's quite a sense of pride that goes with that, and you decorate in the way you want, and your personality shines through your own home." The project, if the grant application is approved, will break ground in the summer and house interiors would get finishing touches in the fall, according to Loken. Residents would be able to move in by Christmas. "We'll try to match that home environment with the person, and take whoever in terms of the best fit, as well as who is the most interested," Loken said. LifeQuest plans to use remote monitoring technology to address overnight staffing shortages, with staff presence on hand at a village community office during waking hours. Remote technology is used in nursing homes, community support providers, and the homes of the elderly, according to Hanna. "It helps people to stay in their homes more independently," Hanna said. "Remote technology can do anything from making sure people's doors are locked to their stoves are off, or it may sense if somebody falls or has a seizure." Cameras would not be in bedrooms or bathrooms, according to Hanna. "We'd have protocols in place that, within seconds, somebody locally will be notified, and we've got a group home just north of there to take the emergency burden before other staff can make it there," Loken said. Each tiny home will be about 650 to 750 square feet, and include a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, living room, and an area outside for entertaining visitors. Plans include a small office with a community area and a garage for a LifeQuest vehicle. "Not all structures will have a garage, because people rely on us to drive them to shopping or to the Corn Palace to a game, or wherever they're going," Hanna said. "They're going to have their own refrigerator, their own stove, their own couch, and even their own remote control." During Monday's meeting, Hanna and Loken shared with the council about the tiny home project. "We believe that this project will be unique to Mitchell, but also to the state of South Dakota specifically for helping people with developmental disabilities," Loken told the council. Hanna expressed that the mini homes project has support from the South Dakota Division of Developmental Disabilities. "What we hope to do is to provide people who have never actually had their own front door an opportunity to do that," Hanna said. LifeQuest has operated in Mitchell since 1959, and has about 200 people on staff to serve 160 individuals. LifeQuest has about a dozen housing options for adults with developmental disabilities, according to Loken. The CDBG program is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and administered by the South Dakota Governor's Office of Economic Development. The CDBG program requires a percentage of the total project cost to be paid through local funds. Applications for the CDBG program are handled by one of the state's six planning districts, and would run through Planning and Development District III, of which Davison County is included. A representative from the District III planning office will be at City Hall during the Monday, March 17 council meeting to answer questions. If the grant is approved, the city will pass through the grant funds to LifeQuest. The city has also acted as a sponsoring agency for Safe Place of Eastern South Dakota's $2.2 million CDBG. The application deadline is April 1, and the architectural design and estimate will be ready before then. "I go to meetings with my counterparts of directors across the state of South Dakota, and I brag all the time about the good-hearted people in Mitchell and our connections and our partnerships, and how you guys embrace us, and you walk with us in many areas of life, and we're blessed to live here," Hanna said.
