About Us

BLOOM is a 501(c)(3) organization, founded by Ora’lea Starr, the mother of 33-year-old twin sons, who were diagnosed with FLNC Myofibrillar Muscular Dystrophy on November 15, 2017.  Like Ora’lea, most of us can remember the day a devastating diagnosis came into our lives, whether it was muscular dystrophy, traumatic brain injury, accident, or another debilitating disease for which there is no cure. 

We can close our eyes and remember our response to it—the fear, the intense grief, the sense of isolation, and the realization that our lives and needs were going to be forever changed. We had to understand and learn to accept a trajectory of loss that may have included losing the ability to walk, move body parts, swallow safely, breathe efficiently, maintain normal cardiac function, and stay sane. 

For many of us, dealing with our new reality was overwhelming.  

According to the CDC’s, ‘Disability Impacts Hawaii,’ report for adults 18+ years of age, 218,444 adults in Hawaii are living with a disability. This is equal to 19% of the population, or 1 in 5 adults. About 8%, or 17,475 of those adults are described as having mobility issues, which are defined as “serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.” 

For a small island chain with a big gap in services for adults living with physical disabilities, the numbers are staggering. The BLOOM organization is currently working with multiple local organizations to determine the percentage of these adults under the age of 59; however, we do know that many Hawaiians and kamaʻāina living with muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, ALS, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, or other physically debilitating diseases do not have the same opportunities as other disability groups—leaving them susceptible to a sense of isolation and feelings of despair. 

Enter BLOOM. We are an organization of caring people helping individuals with physical disabilities and their ‘ohana remember how to breathe, find their centers, and live their best lives.

At BLOOM, we believe that every human life is precious and that all of us deserve opportunities to be prosperous, productive, happy, joyous, and free. Every one of us wants to live a rich, full, and healthy life. Some of us need help to make that happen.

Welcome to Best Life ‘Ohana of Maui. We are glad you’re here.