Cecelia spent 17 dedicated years working at a Safeway in D.C. as a deli manager. She loved her job, and the most rewarding part of her work was all the traveling she did, visiting different stores across the country to do training and implement new systems to better the lives of other employees and the success of the store.
She planned on retiring and was looking forward to the next chapter. But things changed when she got hurt when she slipped and fell at Safeway. Though she didn’t need surgery, the injury was bad enough to mess up her plans. Struggling with pain, bills, and unable to take care of herself, Cecelia had to put her retirement plans on hold.
The injury brought a lot of other challenges—depression, stress, and uncertainty. She spent a year in physical and occupational therapy, trying to get her strength back. During this tough time, she reached out to us. Cecelia is so thankful for our support, especially our paralegal Paul and client specialist, Carlos—both were quick to help and super understanding, helping take away some of that stress and uncertainty so she could focus on her rehab.
One of the main challenges of her case was trying to get Cecelia a settlement so that she was able to get both her retirement benefits and her workers’ compensation benefits. Cecelia did everything we asked and was able to navigate the complexities of her case to be able to retire and receive the benefits she needed for her injuries.
Retirement for her has been a challenge though. Being such an active worker and traveler, understandably, she has had a hard time with the transition. But on the positive side, she has been spending a lot of time with her family, especially her grandkids and great-grandkids, who she describes as an active bunch, giving her a run for her money.
Her recovery continues, but she is still staying strong. She’s even thinking about going back to work but is taking her time to figure things out. One thing’s for sure: Cecelia’s a fighter, and she’s determined to find happiness in retirement, just like every other part of her life!