Single Mamas Seen: Meet Ysa Garcia

BY CHRISTINA MCGAIRK

My faith in God has always been a focal point in my life and started at a very young age. My maternal grandparents started a church in Muncie, Indiana back in the 1940s and I was raised in that church. Faithfully, we would attend church every Sunday and even though I didn’t quite understand the importance of having God in my life when I was younger, a seed was being planted.

That seed was continually watered at home as well. Music was a mainstay in our house. My parents loved gospel music and would play it morning, noon, and night for a sense of encouragement. My mom would play it while getting ready for church, work, or whatever she had planned for the day. My daddy would sing or hum good ole Southern gospel tunes as he went about his day. Those actions stuck with me.

Today, when I feel stressed out and on my last limb, I draw close to my Heavenly Father by reading the Word, but I especially turn to music. I stream a little bit of everything, from Gospel, Christian hip-hop and inspirational, to most recently, Christian chill music.

Relying on my faith has helped me through some really tough times, especially raising a special needs child as a single mother. This life was not the one I chose. My plan was to get married to my daughter’s father and raise a happy child together along with a daughter he had from a previous relationship. Looking back, I’m thankful to God that didn’t happen, for reasons I’ll explain in a later column.

Raising a special needs child on your own is a tough road but with God and His constant strength, it is possible.

Ysa Garcia, who is also a single Mama to two exceptional needs children, is a testament to that. Originally from Venezuela, Garcia fled to the United States in April 2017 to escape political turmoil and provide a better life for her kids. Before leaving her country she was robbed at gunpoint many times and left with no money. When she did have enough money to buy her kids food, she would eat whatever they left on their plates.

Garcia first moved to Miami and stayed with a friend who already lived in the area. While there, she had an allergic reaction to peanuts and ended up in the hospital. A month later, a friend in Carmel invited her to come visit after her health scare. During her visit, she was offered a job at a Mexican restaurant as a dishwasher. Garcia worked 16 hours a day and saved up her money to bring her children, Jesus and Daniela, to the United States. Jesus has cerebral palsy and Daniela was born with Down syndrome.

Garcia believes moving to Carmel was the best decision she could have made for her kids.

“I never expected the kids to live in such a wonderful environment,” she said. “Seeing them smile, happy, and involved in the community lifts me.”

Her children are very active and are enjoying every minute here. Her son Jesus is faithfully involved with the light and sound production team at their church. He also started his own event DJ and lighting business. Daniela is involved in Carmel High School’s Unified Cheer and participates in show choir. She also is on the Special Olympics of Hamilton County Sparkette Pom Pom Squad and sings with the church’s praise and worship team.

Garcia, who finally received her Green Card this year after six years of waiting, now works as an instructional assistant in the Life Skills classroom at Carmel Clay Middle School. She is also a medical interpreter for Spanish speaking families at Riley and Methodist Hospitals.

Garcia gives glory to God for all that has happened in her family’s life. “God has been with me my entire life and keeps on blessing me every time.”

Single Mamas, if you want to share how your faith sustains you during the toughest times in your life, please share at christina. mcgairk@gmail.com