Story: NPO Kagayaku Nakama Challenged, Orion Co-Living Facility for the Disabled (Former name: Kokoro Saori)Do you feel like you’ve changed since the disaster?
Shoko: Um, I don’t really feel like I have.
Kumai: She used to be a normal office worker. Then when she was 25, she developed a blood vessel disease. Around ten years after that, she started coming here (to Orion).
For those ten years before she came to Orion, apparently she didn’t want to see anyone. But then someone strongly recommended us to her, saying it would be better if she had friends. I guess she was pretty reluctant to come.
So going out was a really big decision for her.
Kumai: Yes, definitely.
Because of the disaster, all kinds of people came to interview her. That helped her get better at interacting with people. She doesn’t even seem to mind getting her picture taken now. I think she’s really changed.
Shoko’s parents are getting on in years now, so we’re trying to encourage her to be independent. Right now we’re helping her prepare to stay here for short periods.
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