First Place, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate, “Living on Love”Leah Hrebluk is a single mom raising two daughters with special needs. Her children are the reasons why Leah continues to advocate, and the reason why she views life through a different lens. A positive one. “We're still living the life. We may not be able to do as much as some people do,” Leah said. “But we take what we can. We do it. And then when enough is enough, we go back home and we rest.” Leah Hrebluk holds onto her daughter, Sophia, and coaxes her into her new classroom on the first day of school in Granville August 21, 2019. Sophia was nervous about starting 7th grade in a new school away from the teachers and friends she had made while at Licking Valley.
First Place, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate, “Living on Love”Leah Hrebluk helps her daughter, Sophia, with her hair on the first day of 7th grade, August 21, 2019. Sophia was born weeks early and spent her first weeks of life in the NICU. Her twin brother Micheal, died and Sophia was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy.
First Place, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate, “Living on Love”Leah Hrebluk holds her youngest daughter, Kyndall, in her arms at TJ Evans Park while she chit chats with a friend in August 2019. Leah, who is a single mom is raising two special needs daughters, Kyndall who has Down syndrome, and Sophia who has Cerebral Palsy.
First Place, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate, “Living on Love”Leah holds her daughter Sophia in the doctors office, January 7, 2020, comforting her before she has to get a shot. Sophia was extremely nervous about receiving a shot that day but eventually faced her fear with courage, the way she always does. Born with Cerebral Palsy Sophia has had to fight for everything in life.
First Place, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate, “Living on Love”Sophia Hrebluk leads her mom (Leah) and sister (Kyndall) across a bridge from the bike path back to their home after an afternoon walk on October 24, 2019. Sophia has cerebral palsy and has had to fight for a lot in this world. Her experiences have given her empathy and intuition and a unique way of seeing the world. She helps her mom care for her younger sister, Kyndall who was born with Down syndrome.
First Place, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate, “Living on Love”Enjoying the laughter of her two girls wrestling, Leah puts together the Christmas tree they then decorated together December 6, 2019. Leah kept her tree up for months after Christmas because she loved the lights so much. The family was also waiting for a big snow to celebrate a 'White Christmas' with her older children.
First Place, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate, “Living on Love”The only time Kyndall became animated on the trip to the grocery store in late January, 2020 was when they passed the Valentines Day cookies so her mom, Leah decided to get her a package. Kyndall had been sick most of the winter and Leah was desperate for anything to make her youngest daughter feel better.
First Place, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate, “Living on Love”Kyndall Hrebluk gently rests her hand on her mom, Leah's shoulder as she dozes on her bed, October 24, 2019.
First Place, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate, “Living on Love”Leah Hrebluk holds her daughter, Kyndall close before she goes in for surgery at Nationwide Children's Hospital March 10, 2020. Kyndall had been having severe sinus infections, a symptom common for those with Down syndrome. The surgery was to help alleviate those symptoms by removing her tonsils. Kyndall's dolls, Baby Luke and Lucy Lu are on her hospital bed so she will have something familiar when she wakes up from the surgery.
First Place, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate, “Living on Love”On a chilly winter night Sophia and Kyndall both climbed into their mom, Leah Hrebluk's bed March 11, 2020. The trio are extremely close and do everything together.
First Place, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate, “Living on Love”Dancing in the kitchen with her daughters is just one of the many ways Leah Hrebluk shows her love and sense of adventure by trying to make every moment count. November 14, 2020.
First Place, Feature Picture Story - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate, “Living on Love”While waiting to pick up Kyndall from school Sophia and her mom spent the time talking about how things at school were going, November 14, 2020. Sophia had been having trouble making friends and Leah was worried.
