42-Year-Old Disabled Mother With Polycystic Kidney Disease Seeking Government Disability Grants

by Shirley James
(USA)

At 42 years old, I was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease. This is a genetic hereditary disease. I had no idea that this ran in our family and now I am suffering from the effects of this disease.

I'm looking for disability grants or any other form of assistance for people with disabilities to help my family and me.

I have three children of whom two have now been diagnosed as having the disease and the third, my five-year-old girl, is now being screened.

Polycystic Kidney Disease is a non-curable disease that affects much more than the kidneys. The brain, heart, and other organs of the body can be affected.

My heart is broken just knowing that this has been passed to the children and at this time my eldest son, 21, is suffering. He now has a daughter of two. We're worry for her also.

In the last 10 years I had built up a fairly successful business that had sustained our family fairly well. Within the last two years my health has steadily declined to a point where I suffer through chronic pain that has left me unable to continue working. I have all my children at home with me and have had to apply for welfare.

I am in the process of determination for social security. This is a slow process. On top of that in the last two years of my career I worked for a man who withheld your pay for up to three months at a time or he would only pay you small amounts at a time. My credit went into the toilet. My home went into foreclosure. My vehicles were repossessed.


I'm trying hard to get the mortgage modified. They did offer a trial program where I made three trial payments of $700 per month. I made all my payments on time but they kept sending the money back saying they needed more documents.

I paid these monies and sent them the documents, only for them to say I did not meet my payment obligations. I can't reach the lady handling my case -- ever.

My home and a reliable vehicle are of great concern to me. They want my daughter to see a doctor over 100 miles away. We live in a rural area. My friends and family are all in their own situations and can no longer help us.

I just am at a loss now as what to do. Welfare gives us $780 in cash and $600 in food stamps a month. This doesn't cover extras like heating and electric. I am so far behind in everything now.

I can't seem to find the help I need or the kind of help available to someone like me. If anyone knows anything that may help, like government housing grants for people with disabilities, please let me know.

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