Home > My Future > Where I Live > Balyana Accommodation > Resident Profile

Resident Profile

Lauren Packham

Lauren is 21 years old and a twin. She has a disability which means that she can perform everyday jobs with ease but can experience difficulty learning new and more complex tasks.

Her parents believed that her disability would stop her from ever living a truly independent life, unlike her twin brother. As you can imagine this is something that caused them great concern for her future.

In 2005 Lauren commenced employment with Bedford Packaging, gaining a position in their mail management area. Since this time she has shown great skill, taking on extra tasks and increasing her workload. In addition to this she has recently studied for and successfully completed a TAFE Certificate Level ll in Business. However, her biggest achievement to date came when she moved out of the family home and into a house at Balyana accommodation.

At Balyana Lauren is learning how to live independently and gaining valuable skills which many people take for granted. She is learning information about cooking, cleaning, hygiene and money management so that she can look forward to an independent future with confidence.