Diamond Award honors Chelsea Lefler

Chelsea Lefler was excited to win the 2026 Diamond Award, which celebrates a local self-advocate with developmental disabilities who inspires others through courage and leadership.

The awards were presented recently at the annual Tuscarawas County Board of Developmental Disabilities Community Partners Breakfast at Tuscora Park.

Chelsea Lefler was nominated by her adoptive mother, Richelle Lefler, who spoke about the challenges her daughter has navigated to build the life she enjoys today.

“Chelsea's life is one that deserves to be honored. It is a story shaped by heartbreak and resilience, by trauma that kind of shattered her spirit and a strength that somehow refused to be extinguished,” Richelle Lefler said.

Chelsea Lefler’s story embodies the Diamond Award.

“Diamonds are formed under extraordinary pressure, and Chelsea was under pressures that most of us will never fully comprehend,” Richelle Lefler said.

The two first met in 2002, during Richelle Lefler’s first year as a special education teacher.

“I walked into my classroom, and I saw a little girl sprawled under a table, barefoot, withdrawn, unreachable and refusing to come out. I observed quietly, and eventually she did crawl out,” Richelle Lefler said. “The first thing she did was wrap her arms around me and held on tight. In that embrace, something sacred began. I knew our story would extend far beyond the classroom.”

Skipping some specifics out of respect for her daughter, Richelle Lefler described some of the abuse Chelsea suffered, including broken bones left untreated, burns and scars. Though Chelsea endured what no child should, she stayed true to her goodness.

“Chelsea loved. She loved without hesitation, she loved without condition, and she offered warmth to a world that had been unbearably cold to her as she grew,” Richelle Lefler said. “Chelsea was moved from home to home, family member to family member, never fully claimed, never fully secure.”

In 2010, after the people entrusted with her care walked away, Chelsea Lefler, then 15, was relinquished to the state. Richelle Lefler was asked to take her in.

“Saying yes to Chelsea has been the greatest privilege of my life,” Richelle Lefler said. “In the years since, I have watched her rebuild herself in ways that leave me in awe.”

Chelsea volunteers, is a member of many organizations, loves a good party, thrives in social settings, gathers friends wherever she goes and has traveled around the United States.

“Chelsea has found her voice, and she uses it,” Richelle Lefler said. “She proudly wears her Down Syndrome Awareness shirts and tells anyone who will listen that her extra chromosomes are awesome, and she believes it. Her disability is not a limitation.”

Chelsea Lefler’s life is vibrant and full.

“Chelsea is the most genuine soul I have ever known,” Richelle Lefler said. “She has seen cruelty, abandonment and loss, and still, she wakes each morning believing there is good in this world.”

In a darkness that could have dimmed anyone’s light, Chelsea Lefler continues to shine.

“She reflects brilliance. She does not simply sparkle. She radiates hope. She does not merely shine. She illuminates every life she touches, especially mine,” Richelle Lefler said.

After the award presentation, Chelsea Lefler spoke to the crowd and thanked her mother, family and friends for supporting her and helping make her life better. She said she is continuing to work on her future goals by creating vision boards on an app she found online.

Kim Byrd also was recognized as a Diamond Award nominee at the event.

The Standing Ovation Award went to Julie Erwin, who spoke about how her daughter, Emily, has enriched her life. The award honors a family member or family-like supporter of a person with developmental disabilities. Roseanne Dean and Heidi Miller also were recognized as nominees.

Ian Shearer and Tyler Ross accepted the Ripple Award for Buehler’s in New Philadelphia. The award recognizes a business or employer that champions inclusive employment in the community.

“The biggest thing at Buehler’s is they treat you like family,” Ross, who has found success working in the bakery, said. “I feel very welcome there every time I come in, and I always feel appreciated for everything I do. I would highly recommend them to anyone that might be looking for any type of career in retail or grocery.”

Red at Almond Buttermilk, the Uhrichsville Wendy’s and manager Melanie Johnson, and Dutch Valley Restaurant also were recognized as nominees.

The Better Together Award was accepted by Erika Koffa on behalf of NewPointe Community Church. The organization and its members have provided many opportunities for people with developmental disabilities over the years. The award honors those who directly support people with developmental disabilities and promote independence, equity and inclusion.

Melissa A. Thompson, Lori Daniels, Diana Burtscher, Renea Cross, Renee Maurer, Mandy Resh, Tonya Thomas and Tina Beckett also were recognized as nominees.