Permanently Disabled Senior Couple Seek Housing Grant For Safer Life
by Dana L'Wood
Morgan and Dana's Family
Most know her by that now. She is also permanently disabled. We live on low SSDI benefits (under $900 for each). I am working less than 15 hours per week as Morgan's personal caregiver. She qualifies for 84 hours of caregiving per month through IHSS. I would work more but my own health would not hold up. I am the only one who can take care of her personal needs. Someone else has to pick up the slack. It seems that things have been going downhill for us since my partner and I were walking our two little Shih Tzu dogs in April (Easter Sunday) of 2003 when we were attacked by a stray pit bull. Morgan and I fought the beast as hard as we could but not before he killed one of our little dogs. This naturally drove us both into a deep depression. What's worse, it added to a back injury that I already had from a woman falling back against me while she was having a seizure. This woman is heavy and we were on a staircase. However, I was still able make myself work. The more serious trouble came when I was 57 and my appendix burst at the end of August 2004 and I was left in the emergency room for 18 hours after being two days misdiagnosed. Then a surgeon of great valor came and pushed me into surgery himself. Such was the urgency. The surgery was not laparoscopic. His only choice was to do it the old fashioned way since severe sepsis had already set it. He told me later that he had to massage my heart to keep me here in this world. I spent three days in the ICU and five days more in a hospital room. I was unable to work after that. Even though I did get unemployment for a while, we had to file bankruptcy, as we were unable to make ends meet even barely. We lost everything. Because my health issues were so obvious, I was awarded SSDI without much problem. There is no hope for surgery for the bulging disks in my back. I have developed something from the surgery called gastro paresis, which causes nasty little episodes of severe nausea, often to the point of vomiting. This can last up to seven days an episode. I have also developed cognitive issues due to being over anesthetized. It can be very hard for me to remember things. I am so grateful that I have my life partner Morgan to help me with this and other things. She too has a severe, inoperable back injury which she incurred from a work injury when she was 27. She was a professional stage manager and all hopes for a promising Broadway career were dashed. She has since developed Rheumatoid Arthritis as well. Our neighborhood is riddled with drug dealers and other crime. Not a week goes by that we don't hear gunshots. In fact one evening when I was at work several years ago, Morgan was forced to hide in the closet with our two little dogs while someone was attempting to break the door in. He screamed viciously. It was dark in the closet so she couldn't see the phone well and kept dialing pound 1-1 on a tiny cell phone without light. Finally, she got through and things turned out okay but I can't say that we don't have significant fear to live with. Our landlord has torn the back porch off so we only have one way out of here. The house has mold of just about every despicable kind. We showed him the report and he has done nothing. Now he tells us he is going to raise the rent again. We feel nearly bled to death. We have a plan, which a government grant could help us with enormously by enabling us to move to Santa Cruz, California where our doctor says the air is much better for us and there are many more programs for seniors and more help for the disabled. Vallejo has declared bankruptcy itself and has little to offer. We both love Santa Cruz but we need help in moving costs. We need a moving company who will have people to pack, unpack, and drive for us. We need first and last rent and possibly a deposit. We are on the waiting list for several places but we must be selective. This is because we need a ground floor home. Climbing stairs is agonizing for both of us. Therefore, we might need two or three months rent until the right rental opens up. We think somewhere in the nature of $15,000 would: (1) keep us from being evicted (2) keep us from having to live in our car. We need an address to get our SSDI checks each month. We're scared. Thank you for being there and willing to give us a shot at getting some help. Our faith is strong. It keeps us humble and believing that someone will come through for us. We thank you for your graciousness and your efforts on our behalf. Siochan (means Peace in Gaelic). Dana L'Wood and L. "Morgan" Weimer.
      Go to the Accessible.org Home page. 
|
