Jordan's heart pounds as his feet hit the treadmill at a gym in downtown Yellowknife. Rap music rings from his ear buds.
Korry Garvey stands beside him guiding Jordan through a new workout routine. They've paired up as part of a new pilot project that helps support young people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) who are aging out of the child welfare system. It pairs youth with a navigator, like Garvey, to learn life skills and build support networks.
"I turned 19, that's when the adult life comes in," said Jordan recounting his birthday in April, the day he left foster care. He still lives with his former foster family but he's looking for more independence.
Jordan, who requested that CBC not use his last name, has some short-term memory loss from FASD, a disability resulting from exposure to alcohol when he was in the womb. Learning new things can also be tough for him.
"I wanted to be in the program because I can learn new skills and to learn how to live on my own," he said.
Learn more about this important program:
New FASD Program
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Korry Garvey stands beside him guiding Jordan through a new workout routine. They've paired up as part of a new pilot project that helps support young people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) who are aging out of the child welfare system. It pairs youth with a navigator, like Garvey, to learn life skills and build support networks.
"I turned 19, that's when the adult life comes in," said Jordan recounting his birthday in April, the day he left foster care. He still lives with his former foster family but he's looking for more independence.
Jordan, who requested that CBC not use his last name, has some short-term memory loss from FASD, a disability resulting from exposure to alcohol when he was in the womb. Learning new things can also be tough for him.
"I wanted to be in the program because I can learn new skills and to learn how to live on my own," he said.
Learn more about this important program:
New FASD Program