41 Year Old Disabled Mother Of Two Seeks Grant Money To Ease Financial Burden

by Stacy
(Manteca, CA, USA)

I am a 41-year-old woman that has been married for 11 years now. We have two beautiful girls, ages six and eight.

I first became disabled in January of 2009 with an injury to my left wrist. I was out of work for a year while going through physical therapy and many doctor appointments.

I finally decided that I was tired of not working and asked my doctor if he would release me to go back to work. My doctor highly suggested that I do not go back to work, but did release me so that I could try.

I went back to work in January 2010, and lo and behold, my doctor was right and I ended up going back out on disability and having surgery in August 2010.

I have what is called Quervain's Disease. The surgery helped for a very short period. I am in constant pain and cannot use my left hand for anything. I cannot even blow-dry my own hair. I am unable to even do my children's hair.

I hear so many people say, "Well you have another hand." Actually, I do but my right hand has been disabled since I was sixteen years old from a bad car accident that I was involved in. I lost three fingers in the accident.

Luckily I had a great surgeon that was able to reattach my three fingers, but I do not have any use of two of them. They are fused at the middle joint. So, no I do not have another hand I can use.

My doctors have told me that since the surgery did not work that I either need to have another surgery or try to find a job that does not require repetitive motion of either hand, no lifting, pushing, pulling. I have yet to find a job that does not require any of this.

It is now thirteen months after my surgery and I am in more pain now than I was before the surgery. My State Disability funds ran out in July 2011. I have applied for Social Security Disability, but have not heard anything back as of yet. I was told that it could take up to a year and a half to hear anything from Social Security.

I am lucky that I have a husband that works, but his income is not enough to take care of the household bills, let alone my medicines and my children's medicines, and my physical therapy, which is $250 per visit, and I am supposed to go to physical therapy at least twice a week.

I have tried finding a job that does not require the use of my left hand. I have had several interviews, but am told that I need to be able to perform all duties of the job and if I am unable to use my left hand that they will not hire me.

I was on California State Disability for twelve months, but my available funds are now extinguished.

I applied for Social Security benefits in July of 2010, so I am waiting to hear their decision.

I have begged, pleaded and borrowed from family and friends, but they are all strapped tight for money these days.

I am looking to get approval for my Social Security Disability and then hopefully be able to get trained in a new field so that I can go back to work.

I am trying to get a grant to help pay for household bills, food, medicine for myself and my children, and for my physical therapy.

I am in the process of trying to work with my electric company to give us an extension on paying my bill, but they are not being too helpful.

I cut every coupon possible for food and only buy things that are on sale. Everything I buy at the grocery store is the generic brand. But, I still struggle every day to keep food on the table.

I have cut back everything in the house, such as cable TV, not using air conditioning, cutting off cell phones.