My name is Carlos Ventura, and I’ve been a resident of Norwalk since 2007. I was born and raised in the Dominican Republic, then moved to the United States in the early 1990s, eventually settling in Connecticut in 2002. My first job in Connecticut was at a Greenwich retail business, where I worked for 9 years before becoming a real estate agent in 2005 and founding Ventura Group Realty in 2009. I went back to school to become a massage therapist in 2012, and I worked in GYMs and SPAs while working in real estate. My family lives in two different states: New York and Connecticut. My daughter and grandchildren and I are only a 20-minute drive away.

I try to eat healthy most of the time. I occasionally break my own rules, but I’m aware of it and correct it right away. I became a vegetarian at the age of 17 and a vegan about 5 years ago. I noticed that my energy level increased after I went vegan, and I was ecstatic to feel that way, but it didn’t last long; I felt weak and sick frequently, I couldn’t concentrate since my mind was constantly wandering, and I was always fatigued. I couldn’t get enough sleep and wished I could sleep all day. I had no idea what was going on, so I’m about to break another of my rules: I’m not supposed to go to the doctor because I don’t want to start taking medications, but I didn’t have an option. I feared I was having mental problems since I couldn’t recall things and my mind never stopped racing. I called a few psychiatry offices in Norwalk but couldn’t afford to get an appointment with any of them. I became concerned and went to the community service doctor, explaining that I was unable to sleep. My energy level was low, and I was losing track of everything. They collected a blood sample for the testing, and a week later I get a call from the clinic, saying they need to see me again since the results are in. I made an appointment, and the findings revealed that I was vitamin B12 and vitamin D deficient, and because my levels were so low, I couldn’t just take pills; I needed to be injected.