Who Cares When I’m Gone?

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Written By Kari Harbath

A Solo Mom’s Plea for Equity Through Supportive Housing

OP-ED

Kari and daughter Sloan, Aaron and Sloan (far right). Photos provided

It’s about equity. As a solo mom to a profoundly disabled child: Ogden’s permanent supportive housing project gives me the hope and faith that if I die (like the rest of my fam!), she’d have other resources to care for her if need be.

Because the reality I face every day? There aren’t many (alive) caregivers for Sloan left.

I’ve accepted my mortality. But I haven’t accepted how shitty the system is for disabled adults like Sloan. We can do so much better.

So, from my mom-to-Sloan lens, she’s a prime example of the kind of human a supportive housing project might serve.

Sloan is just the cutest little kid in her hot pink chair and pigtails. But in the blink of an eye she’ll be our age, and “cute” wears off. That’s where my greatest fears set in.

Who helps her then? Who’s watching out for her when I’m dead?

Ogden’s permanent supportive housing project will help 25 disabled and chronically homeless community members. And not only with a home but with caseworker support and close monitoring to ensure it’s a supportive, enriching place to be and not just a roof over somebody’s head.

Deciding against an unsheltered facility like this says, to me, a widow by suicide and mom to a severely disabled kid, you don’t value the lives of those I love.

It says you view Sloan’s life as inferior to yours. You viewed Aaron’s need for mental health support as something that could just be thrown out on the streets.

Ogdenites deserve our support, and this is an easy way to do that.

Adults with disabilities — both visible and invisible — deserve a better system. They deserve equitable treatment.

Because, equity. It’s about Equity.

Kari Harbath

Kari Harbath grew up in Ogden, UT with a rich childhood fully immersed in all Ogden has to offer. Kari was part of the first set of students at DaVinci Charter School, she volunteered and worked at Treehouse Children’s Museum for ten years, and eventually graduated from Weber State University in 2014 with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication. Kari currently works at a Utah-based tech company, Pluralsight. During her tenure at Pluralsight, Kari has worked with international authors and helped in managing social media coverage of Pluralsight LIVE: including covering keynote speeches from Michelle Obama and Malala Yousafzai.Kari is mom to an awesome disabled toddler, Sloan, who is diagnosed with CHARGE syndrome and profoundly DeafBlind. Not long after Sloan’s birth, Kari’s mom – Kim McCorkle-Harbath (founder of the Come Together Community Meal) died unexpectedly. Several months after that Kari’s dear husband of 13 years and Sloan’s wonderful dad unexpectedly died as well. Through an extremely challenging few years of change and loss for her family, Kari believes there truly is healing through advocacy and community engagement. Kari aims to de-stigmatize mental health issues, openly support others on their own grief journey, and advocate for disability rights and resources. She writes and connects with others through her website (kariharbath.com) and Instagram account (@kariandsloan) and runs the Sloan's Scrunchies booth with her sister Kassie at local events: donating the funds to the Kim McCorkle-Harbath Memorial Scholarship at Weber State University. Kari has been featured on several podcasts, was the recipient of the 2020 Upworthy Lead with Love award, and serves as a commissioner on Ogden's own Diversity Commission. Sloan currently attends the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind, where Kari is on the advisory council. In her work at The Ogdenite, Kari aims to uplift unheard voices in Ogden through her writing: with empathy and realism!

http://www.kariharbath.com
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