This is what I came home to after staying away at my mother's while she was sick and dying.

Someone broke into my house through the back door. There is a good view of my backyard from many homes, but nobody reported anything to the authorities. I will never feel safe enough to use that old granny door again. I replaced front and back doors with ugly steel ones.

The burglars ransacked the interior of my house as if they thought a lady who lived alone and was approaching retirement age might have riches beyond measure tucked away in her 1948 2-bedroom house covered in peeling paint.

Frames were taken off walls and pulled apart as if I'd hidden all my riches inside. They put holes in my walls for the copper, even the plumbing metal.

They took every album I'd ever bought with my babysitting money from the age of 12 on (except for Heart's "Dreamboat Annie," which I strangely had taken to my mom's place to test her turntable).

They took costume jewelry, clothing, a small amplifier and a new electric guitar cord (my guitars were at my mom's with me). They took the Maytag washer and dryer I was so proud of affording to buy, my kitchen appliances, cookware, dishes, flatware, my can opener ... my central air unit ... AND MY FURNACE.

WHO STEALS A FURNACE?!!!

I'm still discovering what I still have and do not have. What is the point of breaking the new toilet my son put in for me? They broke the doorway between my dining room and single-car garage. They tried to steal a broken-down vehicle in my driveway. They took all the letters I'd saved from a pen pal who has since passed away.

I raised my son in this house. My grandfather helped me get into this house after a divorce. I'm still making mortgage payments ...

or trying to.

I have since lost the job I loved. I'm unable to stay in my house because my plumbing and electrical must be fixed, and then I have to figure out how I will afford to replace my furnace. I just need help, and I don't know what else to do but ask people I don't know and might never even meet. It seems preposterous.

People have responded with things like, "You left your house alone, and this is why it happened." That hurts. I'm embarrassed and ashamed.

But I'm asking for help to be able to get things fixed such that I can turn my utilities back on and be able to get through the winter. Hopefully, I'll be hired before too long. Being able to get a furnace would at least free up what money I still do have for other repairs.

I'm normally a very good writer, but I'm pretty upset, and I'm sure this post isn't a good read. I hate to ask for help. I'm sorry. But I am asking for help. I don't know what else to do.

If I can figure out how to post a video, I have a video a neighbor gave me of a guy scrapping what we believe is my furnace in the gravel driveway out back. No one has been charged with the burglaries yet, and I'm somewhat afraid of moving back into my house, but I want to go home. I'm so tired. If you can help me, I'll be eternally grateful.

If I have updates, I will post them.

The photo I'm posting is of my backdoor after the third break-in, after the city ticketed me for broken glass. The city boarded up the door, but the burglars removed that.

The door you see inside my utility room is a door the burglars ripped off its hinges to get into my kitchen. It's propped up where my furnace, and my washer, and dryer used to be. They left the hot water tank. I guess it was too hard to disconnect. However, they took any copper connecting it.

It looks like giant rodents squatted in my house while I was away. They used up all my kerosene and made off with my kerosene lanterns. I'm so tired. I don't even have time to grieve over the death of my mom.

It's a lot to ask people I don't know to help me, and even worse to ask those who do, and I really regret feeling like this could be my only chance to go back home. I also understand it's a lot for you to help.

I don't know what else to do. I will be so grateful if you are moved to help me. Thank you for your consideration.

Kind regards,

Miriam Matzeder