My name is Debbie Brown; I am the daughter of Diane Rodriguez.  I have never been comfortable with asking for anything; giving to others is my comfort zone.   I do what I can for my Mom, but I am not in a financial position to provide the assistance she needs.  My husband has an incurable medical condition that requires costly procedures every six months for as long as he lives. 

Life has not been easy for my Mother.  We were both abandoned by my Father before I was born.  My Mom remarried, had my younger sister, Paula, and endured ten years of emotional and physical abuse.  There were times my Mom gave blood just to have some extra money.  We were literally rescued by my step-father, Adolph when I was twelve.

My Mom had my brother, Andrew when I was sixteen.  He was a very talented baseball pitcher, headed to the major leagues.  He was the shining star in our family and brought us immeasurable joy.  Unfortunately he came down with schizophrenia and we never got to see him fulfill the dream.  He has gained over one hundred pounds from all the medications; he’s thirty six and lives with our parents.  It has literally broken my Mom’s heart seeing him suffer every day.

My Mother has always been a very hard working woman from the age of fifteen.  She and Adolph own a custom leather business, producing beautiful safety apparel for motorcyclists.  It’s quite a physical job, maneuvering fourteen pound leather suits through a sewing machine.  She is still working at seventy two.  Their business has suffered with the economy and their market is flooded with mass produced overseas products. 

My Mom has struggled with severe depression in the past.  She had her thyroid removed in the year 2000 and in March, 2016, her thyroid medication reduced, which caused her to have no energy and feel depressed.  Her medication was adjusted and she started to feel better.  Shortly after, my Mom was in a violent car accident that could have killed her.  She was rear ended at a stop light and her teeth went right through her mouth, severing the nerve.  She also sustained two broken ribs, went through emergency reconstructive surgery and has a half smile now, which makes me sad.  The person who hit her was uninsured and driving under a suspended license.  Her car was older and totaled, so now she has no vehicle.  She has lost almost twenty pounds and is not sleeping well.  Yesterday was her birthday, and she was in bed the entire day from exhaustion and depression.

Mom also needs cataract surgery.  The doctor said one of her eyes is inoperable and it will go blind eventually.  The operable one requires a special lens, not covered through her Medicare insurance.  The cost is three thousand dollars, money she doesn’t have.  Her mother was completely blind at the she passed away.  

My Mom is a very selfless person; she is gentle natured and has always given more than she receives.  There are so many more things she has endured in her lifetime; it would literally read like fiction.  She doesn’t care that she has a half smile, she just wants to feel better and be surrounded by the people she loves.  She has no idea about Go Fund Me.  Words would not adequately describe the gratitude we would feel for each and every donation you would be willing to offer. No matter how small, it adds up to changing a life.  This would help her get cataract surgery and maybe even a down payment toward a car; nothing fancy, just a means of transportation.  I know there are a lot of people who need help, so I thank you in advance for considering giving to my Mom. She is our angel on earth.  It would mean the world to me just to give back a small amount of what she has done for our family as well as so many others!