Well, today is the final day of March For Charity and I just want to thank everyone who has been a part of it from those of you who retweeted about the posts, my two supporters who made monetary donations to the raffle and those who came by faithfully and commented. I didn't reach my $2000 goal or come anywhere near close to reaching it, but I'd still say this event was a success. I wanted to help raise awareness for charities and nonprofits and I did just that.
For this last post, I have decided to not highlight a charity or nonprofit. Instead, I would like to introduce you all to a mommy of 2 who is really going through a rough patch. I've known her for a while via Twitter and never did I suspect that she was in the current situation that she's in.
Her name is Denise and like I said she's a young mommy of 2. Her youngest son, LJ, was born 10 weeks premature in 2009. He has Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. This means that LJ has chronic heartburn due to the fact the his food and drink come back up from his stomach and into in his esophagus. So, he's been a series of heartburn medicines since birth.
LJ also suffers from chronic ear infections as well as Laryngeal Penetration and sleep apnea. Needless, to say LJ has been through a lot. However, he is making progress and working hard to reach developmental milestones. And for Denise this has been especially hard having to watch all the testing and wonder what could go wrong next.
Her oldest son Andre suffers from ADHD and anxiety. However, he does not let his condition prevent him from being like other kids. He's very smart and is a honor roll student in class. At home is a great big brother and helps his mom and loves to spend time with his baby brother LJ.
As for Denise, she has been out of work for over three years now. A few years ago, one of her arms was smashed in the doors of a freight elevator at her then job. The damage was so severe that she had to undergo three separate repair surgeries. And even though the surgeries were successful, doctors were unable to restore her arm 100% back to condition and functionality that it was prior the accident.
Thus, Denise says that this has made it challenging for her to get a job because employers aren't willing to accept the fact that there are certain tasks she can't perform. With two kids who require lots of medical care and medicines but no job Denise has quickly fun out funds. Determined to be a provider for her family, she even went back to school to be get her Medical Assistant certification. However, she has yet to obtain a job.
Denise started a blog, Sunshine Pod 22, but says that she received such negative and bullying comments for posting about her struggles and she and her kids deal with their medical issues that she stopped. Despite having been in this unfortunate situation for over three years, surprisingly she is still hopeful. She continues to work hard to get her resume out and looks for work so that she can pay off the mountain of bills that have been collecting and provide a decent living for herself and her boys.
You won't catch her on Twitter or Facebook begging for charity not because she's too proud but because she has received negative responses from users on there as well. Reading her story and talking to her about her current situation moved me to tears. As a mom, I don't know if I'd have half the strength to endure what she's going through. What amazed me about our conversation was that not once did she ask for money. Instead, she asked about ways she could make money herself.
I was shocked. This woman is truly remarkable. She is seriously working hard to put herself out there and not just be satisfied to take charity from others.
So, I would like to challenge all of my readers, YUMMommy supporters and anyone else reading this post to help Denise and her boys get back on their feet. She has placed a Donate button on her blog for those who wish to make monetary donations of any amount. She is also interested in receiving gift cards from stores in here area to use to buy food, clothes, etc. Please take a minute to stop by her blog and read her story for yourself before you judge or blow this off.
Trust me your giving will not be in vain. This family needs you and you can make a difference in their lives.
Again thank you to everyone who has been a part of March For Charity. I'm looking forward to seeing your participation again in March 2012!!
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