Gloria
Donation protected
What makes one cause more compelling than others? Why donate to someone you have never met or never will ? .....
Everyone has a "cause" and most of us have suffered from tragedy. It was a struggle to think about reaching out and giving a justified reason for a donation, so I thought the best way was to tell her story.
Starting in her early 20's, Gloria began her battle with mental illness. She struggles with bipolar and schizoaffective disorder, having auditory hallucinations (hearing voices), delusions and paranoia. She has spend a majority of her life in and out of psychiatric facilities while on a variety of psychotropic drugs. Her 3 children had no choice but to accept this reality while growing up.
She has great spirit and energy; managing to escape from a multitude of locked facilities and spending most of the 80's and 90's walking around the Mission District. She frequently left the house in "costume"; a policewoman, nun, and other homemade outfits. After being picked up by police officers at home for harmful behavior and driven to the hospital, by the time they dropped her off, Gloria had both of them rolling in a fit of laughter. She has so much character and was endearing to most people that met her. She is one of those funny "crazy" people that would make you laugh right along with her. But she was also tough as nails and wouldn't take crap from anybody! When she was 54 years old, she challenged an 18 year old female fellow lockdown patient...resulting in her black eye. She has often refused treatment, medications and even rejected her own daughter for a long time. For years she would build a nightly barracade in her room to block her door to prevent anyone from entering.
She always finds her way home; whether it's from the Mission or a locked psych facility in San Jose. She is happy at home, and hasn't left in the last 10 years, unless to take an emergency trip to the hospital.
This is Gloria's life; she is now 71 years old and lives in her own reality that we do not understand but she is surrounded by her 3 children and 3 grandchildren that care for her, love her and have dedicated their lives to keeping her safe. Her older son delivered newspapers part-time for over 20 years on the graveyard shift so that he was able to be her primary caretaker.
After a recent trip to the ER for severe pain, it was discovered that she has stage IV Colon Cancer with metastasis to her liver. It was likely slowly developing, but without any meaningful communication from her about pain or other symptoms, it was impossible to know. Fully understanding the severity of her mental illness, we know that further treatment is not an option.
Gloria's story is difficult to comprehend, and continues to be challenging. She is not a typical patient, and her pain is expressed as agitation, anxiety and restlessness. A family member must be with her 24 hours to constantly assess and medicate her for pain and make sure she is safe since her behavior is unpredictable. David is taking an extended unpaid leave from his job to help his brother manage her complex care. Please help David and his family support and care for their mom, Gloria, at home.
Everyone has a "cause" and most of us have suffered from tragedy. It was a struggle to think about reaching out and giving a justified reason for a donation, so I thought the best way was to tell her story.
Starting in her early 20's, Gloria began her battle with mental illness. She struggles with bipolar and schizoaffective disorder, having auditory hallucinations (hearing voices), delusions and paranoia. She has spend a majority of her life in and out of psychiatric facilities while on a variety of psychotropic drugs. Her 3 children had no choice but to accept this reality while growing up.
She has great spirit and energy; managing to escape from a multitude of locked facilities and spending most of the 80's and 90's walking around the Mission District. She frequently left the house in "costume"; a policewoman, nun, and other homemade outfits. After being picked up by police officers at home for harmful behavior and driven to the hospital, by the time they dropped her off, Gloria had both of them rolling in a fit of laughter. She has so much character and was endearing to most people that met her. She is one of those funny "crazy" people that would make you laugh right along with her. But she was also tough as nails and wouldn't take crap from anybody! When she was 54 years old, she challenged an 18 year old female fellow lockdown patient...resulting in her black eye. She has often refused treatment, medications and even rejected her own daughter for a long time. For years she would build a nightly barracade in her room to block her door to prevent anyone from entering.
She always finds her way home; whether it's from the Mission or a locked psych facility in San Jose. She is happy at home, and hasn't left in the last 10 years, unless to take an emergency trip to the hospital.
This is Gloria's life; she is now 71 years old and lives in her own reality that we do not understand but she is surrounded by her 3 children and 3 grandchildren that care for her, love her and have dedicated their lives to keeping her safe. Her older son delivered newspapers part-time for over 20 years on the graveyard shift so that he was able to be her primary caretaker.
After a recent trip to the ER for severe pain, it was discovered that she has stage IV Colon Cancer with metastasis to her liver. It was likely slowly developing, but without any meaningful communication from her about pain or other symptoms, it was impossible to know. Fully understanding the severity of her mental illness, we know that further treatment is not an option.
Gloria's story is difficult to comprehend, and continues to be challenging. She is not a typical patient, and her pain is expressed as agitation, anxiety and restlessness. A family member must be with her 24 hours to constantly assess and medicate her for pain and make sure she is safe since her behavior is unpredictable. David is taking an extended unpaid leave from his job to help his brother manage her complex care. Please help David and his family support and care for their mom, Gloria, at home.
Organizer
Anjal Pong
Organizer
San Francisco, CA
