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SEEKING HELP TO RELOCATE GLORIA CUTSFORTH ALLEN, AFTER HOME FORECLOSURE.
MUST BE OUT OF HOME BY FEB 17.
My mom, Gloria Cutsforth Allen, and I ( Michele Purvance) are humbly seeking donations to help us move to a senior apartment asap because the bank recently foreclosed on our home, and we have to be out in two weeks: by February 17. (Uh-oh...)
Unfortunately, the cost of cancer and other unexpected facts of life have wiped out all of our assets and we weren't smart enough to hide some under the mattress somewhere. We desperately need funds to pay for the various costs of moving: movers, supplies, storage, the initial apartment costs, our overdue bills, and car repair. My mom turns 90 this summer, miraculously in light of her long struggle fighting breast cancer. Should there happen to be more than enough money to move, I would like to start her birthday celebration now, because we never know about tomorrow..If it worked out, I would love to take my mom to see her 95 year old sister whom she has not been able to see in several years because her sister can’t travel and we didn’t have the money to get to her. ( And Id love to get a "Granny Nanny for a few days and go visit my kids in Utah whom I haven't seen for ages).
So here is how we found ourselves in this pickle. My mom had been courageously battling breast cancer since 2003, shortly after losing her husband Dean to a brain tumor. Then six years ago her doctor had bad news. He told her that that the cancer had spread and that there wasn’t anything they could do to fix it. She was officially given a stage four diagnosis. Brave, (stubborn) little soldier that she’s always been, she never shed a tear and just went about her life saying "Don’t worry Michele. I'm not ready to die yet. I’m going to be just fine." She continued with her duties as founder/director of Opera Las Vegas, and went to her Rotarian lunches every Thursday as if nothing had changed.
I was still living in Salt Lake at the time, but my kids were finally old enough that I was ready to move elsewhere. I had miraculously found affordable housing on Catalina Island, ( my favorite former home), so I was ready to roam. But then she starting having some other serious medical events, and I decided that Catalina must wait (waah) I think that as a child, I had watched my mother die way too many times at the end of the opera ,La Boheme, while playing Mimi. I realized that I could not let my Diva Mother have a sad, lonely final chapter to her wonderfully full life. So I packed up my stuff and moved in with her here in Las Vegas, to see her through to the final curtain.
Then something amazing happened: her cancer went into a full remission and has been that way for the last four years. She now has some other health issues, and a significant case of dementia, which require full time caregiving. I felt if I put her in a medicare home somewhere she would just die of a broken heart. Besides, she's a really fun roommate. No matter how tired, or confused, she never misses an opportunity to land a punch line, and she still loves to belt out a song. We have really been having a wonderful time, but six years later, I just couldnt keep this boat afloat anymore. Medical and other bills, along with this big piece of property eventually consumed all our available assets and we were starting to look all too much like the mother and daughter in the documentary: "Gray Gardens". Clearly it was time for change.
Before I could figure out a reasonable plan of action, my own health started to tank. Turns out I had developed rheumatoid arthritis, which I now know is an immune system disorder that causes my body to attack itself for no particularly good reason. It took over a year to get a diagnosis, and Im still waiting to start some sort of treatment. I love a good challenge, so Im sure I will be able to manage this is no time. All this is to say that we were not disappointed when the bank decided to forclose. Sometimes its just easier to have someone else make the decision.
This is not a sad story for either of us :-) We’ve had a wonderful time here together for these past six years. But we are more than ready for a small apartment with a pool that works. We’ve also spent the last three summers without air-conditioning and two winters without a furnace… We found a wonderful (and affordable) place called The Ensemble Senior Living, which is like a big hotel or college dorm for old people, many of whom wear very colorful hats...( our kind of folks:) They have bingo night, and movie night, and music night, and all sorts of activities. One other problem is that we have to be out of here before they can let us in there, so we will also need help to cover a couple of weeks at the Motel 6, (which has always been one of my personal favorites from my years as a female lounge lizard.) Life is looking good again!
I had to seriously talk my mom into allowing me to post this campaign. She has never asked for assistance in her life, and I think she would rather be homeless than ask for help. I finally convinced her, first by explaining that we couldn't even fit our make-up and shoes into a cardboard box home, let alone a shopping cart, and then, by reminding her of all the years of volunteer work she did for the arts everywhere, for so many great causes like the Special Olympics, or for school children in native Alaskan villages, and for countless fundraisers, weddings, birthdays,funerals, and fishing tournaments. I don' think she ever said "No" to any request for her talents. My mother never payed much attention to things like paychecks, which might give us a clue as to how we got in this position in the first place, ha ha. Although we were both gifted with great musical and artistic abilities, we didn’t get anything in the long-term financial planning department. So here we are.
We are eternally grateful for any help, but we certainly don't want anyone to feel any pressure. My mom also wants me to invite everybody to Las Vegas for her 90th birthday party on June 12 :-) Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. We hope that all of you are doing well out there with your families and your lives. If you live here in Vegas, let us know if you need any used furniture, etc. We have a ton of stuff that needs to go away.
Sending big love and gratitude,
Michele and Gloria
MUST BE OUT OF HOME BY FEB 17.
My mom, Gloria Cutsforth Allen, and I ( Michele Purvance) are humbly seeking donations to help us move to a senior apartment asap because the bank recently foreclosed on our home, and we have to be out in two weeks: by February 17. (Uh-oh...)
Unfortunately, the cost of cancer and other unexpected facts of life have wiped out all of our assets and we weren't smart enough to hide some under the mattress somewhere. We desperately need funds to pay for the various costs of moving: movers, supplies, storage, the initial apartment costs, our overdue bills, and car repair. My mom turns 90 this summer, miraculously in light of her long struggle fighting breast cancer. Should there happen to be more than enough money to move, I would like to start her birthday celebration now, because we never know about tomorrow..If it worked out, I would love to take my mom to see her 95 year old sister whom she has not been able to see in several years because her sister can’t travel and we didn’t have the money to get to her. ( And Id love to get a "Granny Nanny for a few days and go visit my kids in Utah whom I haven't seen for ages).
So here is how we found ourselves in this pickle. My mom had been courageously battling breast cancer since 2003, shortly after losing her husband Dean to a brain tumor. Then six years ago her doctor had bad news. He told her that that the cancer had spread and that there wasn’t anything they could do to fix it. She was officially given a stage four diagnosis. Brave, (stubborn) little soldier that she’s always been, she never shed a tear and just went about her life saying "Don’t worry Michele. I'm not ready to die yet. I’m going to be just fine." She continued with her duties as founder/director of Opera Las Vegas, and went to her Rotarian lunches every Thursday as if nothing had changed.
I was still living in Salt Lake at the time, but my kids were finally old enough that I was ready to move elsewhere. I had miraculously found affordable housing on Catalina Island, ( my favorite former home), so I was ready to roam. But then she starting having some other serious medical events, and I decided that Catalina must wait (waah) I think that as a child, I had watched my mother die way too many times at the end of the opera ,La Boheme, while playing Mimi. I realized that I could not let my Diva Mother have a sad, lonely final chapter to her wonderfully full life. So I packed up my stuff and moved in with her here in Las Vegas, to see her through to the final curtain.
Then something amazing happened: her cancer went into a full remission and has been that way for the last four years. She now has some other health issues, and a significant case of dementia, which require full time caregiving. I felt if I put her in a medicare home somewhere she would just die of a broken heart. Besides, she's a really fun roommate. No matter how tired, or confused, she never misses an opportunity to land a punch line, and she still loves to belt out a song. We have really been having a wonderful time, but six years later, I just couldnt keep this boat afloat anymore. Medical and other bills, along with this big piece of property eventually consumed all our available assets and we were starting to look all too much like the mother and daughter in the documentary: "Gray Gardens". Clearly it was time for change.
Before I could figure out a reasonable plan of action, my own health started to tank. Turns out I had developed rheumatoid arthritis, which I now know is an immune system disorder that causes my body to attack itself for no particularly good reason. It took over a year to get a diagnosis, and Im still waiting to start some sort of treatment. I love a good challenge, so Im sure I will be able to manage this is no time. All this is to say that we were not disappointed when the bank decided to forclose. Sometimes its just easier to have someone else make the decision.
This is not a sad story for either of us :-) We’ve had a wonderful time here together for these past six years. But we are more than ready for a small apartment with a pool that works. We’ve also spent the last three summers without air-conditioning and two winters without a furnace… We found a wonderful (and affordable) place called The Ensemble Senior Living, which is like a big hotel or college dorm for old people, many of whom wear very colorful hats...( our kind of folks:) They have bingo night, and movie night, and music night, and all sorts of activities. One other problem is that we have to be out of here before they can let us in there, so we will also need help to cover a couple of weeks at the Motel 6, (which has always been one of my personal favorites from my years as a female lounge lizard.) Life is looking good again!
I had to seriously talk my mom into allowing me to post this campaign. She has never asked for assistance in her life, and I think she would rather be homeless than ask for help. I finally convinced her, first by explaining that we couldn't even fit our make-up and shoes into a cardboard box home, let alone a shopping cart, and then, by reminding her of all the years of volunteer work she did for the arts everywhere, for so many great causes like the Special Olympics, or for school children in native Alaskan villages, and for countless fundraisers, weddings, birthdays,funerals, and fishing tournaments. I don' think she ever said "No" to any request for her talents. My mother never payed much attention to things like paychecks, which might give us a clue as to how we got in this position in the first place, ha ha. Although we were both gifted with great musical and artistic abilities, we didn’t get anything in the long-term financial planning department. So here we are.
We are eternally grateful for any help, but we certainly don't want anyone to feel any pressure. My mom also wants me to invite everybody to Las Vegas for her 90th birthday party on June 12 :-) Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. We hope that all of you are doing well out there with your families and your lives. If you live here in Vegas, let us know if you need any used furniture, etc. We have a ton of stuff that needs to go away.
Sending big love and gratitude,
Michele and Gloria