Jaslene – Spunky and Full of Life – Inspires Fundraising Campaign for Accessible Bathroom
Sometimes you meet someone and it changes your life forever. For former East Lansing teacher Renee Olance, meeting Jaslene Jaimes as a kindergarten student impacted both of their futures.
The young student, now 13, is energetic, caring, kind, spunky and has a quick wit. She also has a progressive neurological disability. But that is not what defines her.
After Jaslene became ill with the flu in 2018, her health severely declined and the way she went about day-to-day activities was drastically altered. Prior to that, she was ambulatory and able to walk, run and be active on the playground. Today she requires a wheelchair for mobility.
Olance said she considers herself a better person for knowing Jaslene and hopes to spread joy for the girl through accessibility. She joined Jaslene’s mother Paty Jaimes and father Areli Diaz Adan in launching a GoFundMe fundraising campaign last month for the family. The hope is to raise $26,450 to make the bathroom in the family’s East Lansing ranch-style home accessible for Jaslene.
Other spaces in the open-concept home have been modified and made accessible with ramps. But the bathroom has become increasingly challenging.
Long-time East Lansing teacher spent her career doing what she loved most.
Renee Olance taught 41 years total, retiring in June 2019 from the East Lansing School District. She spent time doing what she loved most: teaching special education at Pinecrest Elementary School, Red Cedar Elementary School and Glencairn Elementary School.
“I had the opportunity to have kids in my class for usually more than one year,” she said. “They end up kind of like being your own kids. And you end up developing pretty strong relationships with the families because you’re in this journey together.
“A really special connection is formed with them because you feel like you’re with them for so much that you kind of end up sharing the same heart,” Olance said.

Olance recalls the first time she met Jaslene and Paty, who she refers to as her chosen “family of the heart.”
“She was this spunky, full-of-life child, with such a great smile,” she said. “You could just see her kindness, she always had a kind word for everyone. She would compliment you, tell you that you looked pretty or she liked your dress.”
Watching the girl’s declining health impact her favorite activities like hanging on the monkey bars during recess was staggering and left Olance feeling a bit heartbroken. But despite challenges, Olance said Jaslene’s perseverance is inspiring and impressive for any age.
“When she got into third grade and was in a lot of pain and needed the support of a wheelchair, you would have expected her to not feel like herself,” she said. “Not Jaslene. She decided she was not going to let whatever was going on define her.
“I feel like some people might just think that’s a phrase. But with her, it’s absolutely 100% true,” Olance said. “She just goes through each day with grace. She will get up and push through. You would think that at some point her spirit might have a little dent in it. But no, not here. She just persevered with the same kind of grace she always did.”
Olance said Jaslene’s personality immediately wins people over.
“I’ve always called her a little earth angel,” she said. “I don’t know of too many adults that could go through their days with the challenges she has faced, and do it the way she does it.” Olance said. “She’s still happy, polite, fun and has a quick sense of humor. She’s just the real deal. You meet her and you love her. That’s all there is to it.”
The family’s love, strength and light inspired Olance to want to help.

Olance credits Jaslene’s family with much of how their daughter approaches life.
“You feel like you’re a little bit better of a person for standing in their light,” Olance said. “The three of them shine such a bright light and it’s so filled with such love. You just know that because you know them. And you’re so fortunate that you’re able to be a part of their family, that it’s made you – hopefully – be a better person, and that it’s changed you and your life.”
Watching Paty jump through hoops to try to access funding to make the narrow bathroom Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible inspired the former teacher to look into crowdfunding as a way to help.
“She continued to meet roadblock after roadblock until it got to the point where there didn’t appear to be much hope in sight,” Olance said of Paty, who applied for funding, was denied, appealed and was denied again.
“I just said, ‘well I guess this is going to be my new full-time job.’ This is now my mission,” she said. ”I absolutely have to figure this out for this family because Jaslene deserves to have a bathroom. She is going through life facing all of these challenges, not complaining, just doing it with grace. At the very least, she can have a bathroom.
“There isn’t anything that I wouldn’t do to try to help them.”
Jaslene’s creative, problem-solving parents found a way to navigate the bathroom situation for a while. But after a major surgery this spring, the space became even more unsafe and unusable for their daughter. That situation is what spurred the timeliness of the fundraising campaign launched in May.
The community has stepped up to support the family and get closer to their goal.
After hearing of Jaslene’s story via the GoFundMe and other local news coverage, many neighbors and strangers have fallen in love with the teen’s determination. Nearly 200 donations from fellow East Lansing Public School staff, students and even strangers on the internet have pushed the fundraiser closer to the $26,450 goal in recent weeks.

Olance said knowing the community has wrapped its arms around Jaslene’s family means a lot.
“It doesn’t matter the amount of the donation.The fact that someone cares just fills your heart right up. You’re so grateful,” Olance said. “To see that we’re so very close to our goal means the world to know that all of these people are caring like this.”
Paty said the family is forever grateful to Olance’s caring heart and spearheading the fundraiser.
“She did so much back work to get it up and running, helping us meet with contracting companies to visualize what is the most economical way to make this small space accessible for Jaslene,” she said.

Paty is also overwhelmed by the East Lansing community’s support. Although the GoFundMe is the immediate goal, she hopes this conversation surrounding disabilities can continue. She hopes to educate people about individuals with disabilities, the daily challenges they face and encourage advocacy for future change.
While Jaslene’s story is a challenging one, it’s not an uncommon one, Paty said.
“The fundraiser is for an accessible bathroom,” Paty said. ”But this is also about disability justice and the lack of accessibility in housing. The struggles are not unique to my family, but to a lot of disabled people, adults and children. We are one of many families that face similar issues.”
Reaching the GoFundMe goal would mean “the world” to the family.
“It’s really hard for people that do not live our lives to understand what that means,” Paty said. “Jaslene is dependent on others for her to perform daily living skills, from bathing, to dressing, to eating. Imagine always having to always depend on others to brush your teeth, wash your hair, to get your meals or water. For us, this is our reality, and the reality of many caregivers and people with disabilities.”
Paty said her family and others who have members with disabilities have to do much planning in advance. They must research to see if locations are welcoming, inclusive and are physically accessible. Navigating life is a task every single day.
“Our society is not an accessible one,” Paty said. “Society, housing and the structures are inaccessible. The stress and challenges that we experience stem from the lack of accessibility in housing, and lack of accessibility when you’re trying to navigate access to education, doctors and medical treatments.
“There’s a lot of the fighting that needs to be done on the back end just to be able to access really anything that you need.”
Paty has a PhD in STEM Education, with a focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Sciences. Studying, living and breathing this topic has led her to become an even greater advocate for her daughter and others with disabilities.
Although hurdles keep coming up and accessing funding sometimes seems nearly impossible, Jaslene’s parents continue to “fight the fight” for their daughter.
“My biggest priority is to ensure that she has a good quality of life just like any other able-bodied child out there,” Paty said. “We’re so close to making this happen for Jaslene. I get emotional because it’s been a journey, it’s been a battle.
“I can just imagine the look on her face when she’s finally able to enter an accessible bathroom. And be able to access her home in the same way that any other able-bodied individual can access their home.”