Brewers Need Help (especially) after Helene

After her hospitalization in August for atrial fibrillation and his in mid-September for yet another infected diabetic wound, my parents, Charles and Susan Brewer, already faced an incredibly daunting autumn, here in the winter of their lives. With bad knees, she walks at snail's pace, and neuropathy has robbed him of all feeling in his feet and lower legs; he is unsteady and often dizzy. Still, though, he can't retire, and for months I've been his behind-the-scenes paralegal and sometime-chauffeur. It was already an unsustainable situation for me as a homeschooling and working mom living three-and-a-half hours east. Then, historic Hurricane Helene hobbled Western North Carolina, turning the green mountains mud brown. As the storm ravaged Asheville, it wreaked havoc inside the Brewer home.

My parents' financial standing was already as precarious as their health. Now it's fallen on me, their eldest daughter, to navigate the road ahead. I humbly ask for help so that Patrick and I can help them without likewise falling into desperation. To weather this season and respond to the destruction of this storm we'll need to replace their breached roof and some rotted-out window treatments; replace the flood-ruined heating system and appliances; remediate mold; hire assistance for them both as their needs eclipse my ability to shoulder it all; and be nimble to respond to the unknown.

With humility and gratitude,

Emily Brewer

P.S. To make a direct donation via Zelle, email me.