Stroke Disabled Single Mother Of Five Seeks Government Grant Money

by Dewauna Reed
(Collinsville, MS, USA)

I am a 39-year-old mother of five. I have been a caregiver most of my life. I like helping them keep their independence if it is at all possible.

My migraines started at 15 when you don't think, "what if this is more than a headache?"

At 22 I had my first child. She is my big helper with the smaller children, doing some cooking, cleaning, bathing and dressing.

At 25 I had my second. She helps out a whole lot with me and the others.

At 30, I had my third. She helps out sometimes.

At 36, I had my fourth. He is my daytime helper with the baby and keeps me on my feet.

At 38, I had my fifth child. She is only a little one.

On September 20, 2009, my day started out very good. My little children were off to school. I feed my boys at this time. I was living with my mother and had no money for home bills.

At about 4:00 my headaches started up. This time it was so bad that whatever I had taken came back up.

At about 7:30 my sister made me get out of the house and go to the hospital. I sit in the emergency room for two throwing up that night.

I had x-rays and CT scans. That's how they found a brain bleed. I was rushed to ICU were I slept for five days.

In that time my children were moved around a lot. The doctors had told my mother I was going to die. She wouldn't give up on me. She said that I had too much to live for, you got to come back to us.

They told her my right arm and legs were gone. On day 5 I talked to my mother for the first time in days.

The next day they put me in a room. My blood pressure was low, not like the first time. That is when I leaned about my stroke.

And I had all the signs: sudden numbness, weakness of face, amr, leg on one side, trouble speaking, seeing, walking, and headaches.

I was moved to a physical therapy unit. I had to learn how to walk, feed myself, go to the bathroom by myself and return to independence, like changing my baby with one hand.

My time in the unit lasted four weeks. I am sill recovering. I walked out of the hospital that day in October. I moved back home in January of 2010.

My arm just has some sudden movements. I am grateful for life.