TBI Disabled Single Mom Seeks Education Grant Money To Work Again
by Judi
I have had to learn all over again, and went from having a successful business, to SSDI as my income. I am a single Mom of two wonderful children. I went back to school. The Doctors that were working with me told me I would never be able to hold down a job again, as I have memory issues, and six herniated disks in my spine. At first I thought I was just going to have to live with this, and then I decided to find out through testing, just how my traumatic brain injury was going to affect my learning. I went through a lot of testing, registered at the Junior College in my town, and decided to figure out what would work for me. I had to drop out of school for a while. I couldn't remember the stuff I was trying to learn in my classes. I fell behind, got extremely overwhelmed, and decided it just wasn't my time yet. I then re-enrolled, and took a class for people with disabilities. I went through more testing, and found out I could retain information, but I could only do this when I was learning American Sign Language, because it is a visual language. I took my first class and studied harder than anyone else in my class, but I retained what I had learned. I am now in my 5th class, and on my way to the Certificate Program to be an American Sign Language Interpreter. I will also have to have my BA degree to get the certificate, and I am halfway through to get my AA degree. I really struggle, but I am having tutors help me, and I study every day, all day. I want to give back to my community, and I will get through this. I want to help people that are deaf. I want to be their voice. I also want to advocate to help with the public, so deaf people can have the same access to the video machines they need to communicate, and have the same rights the hearing do, and not have to be so isolated when in public situations, government, jails, social services, etc. I have a dream, and I am also teaching my children, that no matter what life hands you, you can always rise above. If you work hard, stay persistent, and don't give up, you can achieve your dreams. I have the hardest time with money. I can't feed my family, and we do use food banks. Also my kids need school clothes, and we so desperately need a car. Public transportation is so hard, it takes an extra 4 hours out of our day, when if we had a car, it would only take maybe an hour to drive to and from school, for all three of us, the store, food banks, and everyday things. I do have SSDI, as I had always worked, and a lot before my accident, so we are grateful, but we have not had a Christmas in 10 years. I can never afford to get my kids gifts. They never have had a real birthday party. I know you probably think, well a lot of people go without, and they do, but I need help to get through school, and to have enough to finish my education. I want to work again. Until my accident I worked 60 hours a week, paid a lot of taxes, as does everyone else, but the Government has not been able to increase any of my benefit amount for 2 years. With the cost of the bus tickets for all three of us, food, rent, and all of my household bills, we are truly going without. We just need some help. This would be the greatest gift for us, and I will be able to give back to my community, once I am able to finish my education, and volunteer my time to those who need it, and help in schools, as well as make a living. We don't get food stamps. The government tells me I make too much on SSDI, but when you factor in all of my expenses, without the food banks we really could not survive. My daughter's teeth are bad. She has asthma, and the medication to help her lungs has rotted her teeth from inside the gums, and there are no dental benefits. My son has a molar that is broken in half, and both have toothaches all the time, but there is not any dental coverage. I am at the end of my rope, I have tried for ten years now, and we are falling apart. Help is all I need. This would let me keep going. I just want to have a job. Without my education, I have tried to get jobs, but I get confused at interviews, and I don't get hired. It's hard to find work around school schedule. I have tried, and tried. My memory is a huge factor.
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