Help Save a Paramedic
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For nearly her entire life, Bessie Athans has been selflessly helping others. Starting at age 15, Bess worked, went to school, and helped her divorced mother take care of her younger sister and brother. Bess was always an honors student until her mother became sick with lung cancer in her senior year. Somehow, at only 17, Bess managed to take care of her sick mother, her siblings, work and still graduate.
Thankfully her mom recovered after lung surgery. Not long after, however, they discovered that Bess's younger sister Anna suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and major depression, which only began to get worse with Anna's age.
At the age of 23, Bess became an EMT and soon became a paramedic. She has worked on many ambulances, countless emergency rooms and intensive care units, and has saved many lives in the last 31 years... including my own.
Bess is my maternal aunt. Anna, her mentally ill sister, was my mother. My single mom did her best to take care of me on her own, but she couldn't work. We were poor and she was hospitalized very frequently for her schizophrenic episodes. My Aunt Bess regularly made sure we had enough food and gave my mom all she could to help us get by, all the while still taking care of my grandmother who was sick with Pancreatic cancer.
After kemo therapy failed and her mother sadly passed away at 65, Bess continued to help my mom and me. When I was 11, my mom had a severe schizophrenic episode, the result of which a court ordered her to be institutionalized. If Bess had not been there for me, I would have wound up in foster care. A few years later when I was 14, my mother Anna suddenly passed away from a massive heart attack. She was only 39. Bess and I were devestated.
Even though she rearranged her life to take me in, she accepted me like her own daughter. I have suffered from major depression and anxiety since childhood, and I cannot tell you the amount of times Bess has saved my own life.
Bess also took in her brother's son when he was 16 when he couldn't stand to live with his own mother anymore. She loved and took care of us like the children she never had, even though she struggled to do so financially.
For many years, Bess has suffered with knee pain. After finally going to see a knee specialist in 2011, she was told that she would need both knees completely replaced. After so many years of lifting patients in hospital beds, in and out of ambulances and carrying stretchers the cartilage in both of Bess' knees is gone. Since she cannot afford to have surgery, she still suffers tremendous pain everyday.
Unfortunately, suffering through her knee pain is the least of Bessie's worries. In July of 2013 she was laid off from the medical company she has worked for since 2001, where she made just enough money to get by. This has had a devestating effect on both mine and Bess's lives. I was also laid off from the same company in July 2013, and we are struggling now more than ever.
Our only car was reposessed 4 days ago and we have less than 5 days to come up with the $2000 to get it back, which neither of us have. To make matters even worse, Bess was just served an eviction notice. She has tried to work out a payment plan with the landlord she has been a loyal tenant to for more than 5 years. Bess has been trying to work as many part-time and as needed jobs as she can to catch up, but unless she can come up with the $4000 she owes in 2 weeks, she will be left with no where to go. Please don't let this happen to her. Bess has helped me and so many people. Please help me help her. I thank you with all of my heart for any donations.
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-UPDATE FRI JUN 27 2014-
Thankfully her mom recovered after lung surgery. Not long after, however, they discovered that Bess's younger sister Anna suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and major depression, which only began to get worse with Anna's age.
At the age of 23, Bess became an EMT and soon became a paramedic. She has worked on many ambulances, countless emergency rooms and intensive care units, and has saved many lives in the last 31 years... including my own.
Bess is my maternal aunt. Anna, her mentally ill sister, was my mother. My single mom did her best to take care of me on her own, but she couldn't work. We were poor and she was hospitalized very frequently for her schizophrenic episodes. My Aunt Bess regularly made sure we had enough food and gave my mom all she could to help us get by, all the while still taking care of my grandmother who was sick with Pancreatic cancer.
After kemo therapy failed and her mother sadly passed away at 65, Bess continued to help my mom and me. When I was 11, my mom had a severe schizophrenic episode, the result of which a court ordered her to be institutionalized. If Bess had not been there for me, I would have wound up in foster care. A few years later when I was 14, my mother Anna suddenly passed away from a massive heart attack. She was only 39. Bess and I were devestated.
Even though she rearranged her life to take me in, she accepted me like her own daughter. I have suffered from major depression and anxiety since childhood, and I cannot tell you the amount of times Bess has saved my own life.
Bess also took in her brother's son when he was 16 when he couldn't stand to live with his own mother anymore. She loved and took care of us like the children she never had, even though she struggled to do so financially.
For many years, Bess has suffered with knee pain. After finally going to see a knee specialist in 2011, she was told that she would need both knees completely replaced. After so many years of lifting patients in hospital beds, in and out of ambulances and carrying stretchers the cartilage in both of Bess' knees is gone. Since she cannot afford to have surgery, she still suffers tremendous pain everyday.
Unfortunately, suffering through her knee pain is the least of Bessie's worries. In July of 2013 she was laid off from the medical company she has worked for since 2001, where she made just enough money to get by. This has had a devestating effect on both mine and Bess's lives. I was also laid off from the same company in July 2013, and we are struggling now more than ever.
Our only car was reposessed 4 days ago and we have less than 5 days to come up with the $2000 to get it back, which neither of us have. To make matters even worse, Bess was just served an eviction notice. She has tried to work out a payment plan with the landlord she has been a loyal tenant to for more than 5 years. Bess has been trying to work as many part-time and as needed jobs as she can to catch up, but unless she can come up with the $4000 she owes in 2 weeks, she will be left with no where to go. Please don't let this happen to her. Bess has helped me and so many people. Please help me help her. I thank you with all of my heart for any donations.
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-UPDATE FRI JUN 27 2014-
First and foremost I must say I am so, so very grateful for all of your donations. You all have helped my Aunt get her car back, and I cannot ever thank each and every one of you enough.
The situation right now is still extremely difficult. Despite our greatest efforts, Bess is still behind on the rent and is still facing eviction. She is working herself sick, and she is falling very behind in other bills as she is forced to give every hard earned penny to the landlord. If she is evicted, she will have no where to go.
Bess has worked tirelessly her entire life, saving lives and helping others. Please help me help her. Please share this and spread the word. Your help means the world to us.
Again, I thank all of you beautiful, wonderful people from the bottom of my heart.
-Christina Verges
Organizer
Christina Verges
Organizer
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