Getting My Life Back

Hello, my name is Angelica Deleon Halphen and on October 31, 2019, my life fell apart and would never be the same. My only son, Harrison Schmidt, was shot in the head at 7:30 at night, on a busy street in front of trick-or-treaters because of Road Rage. Only one car stopped and because my son was driving in a not-so-nice neighborhood they assumed he was in a gang and took him to Ben Taub. No one called me, I had to file a missing person's report after staying up all night at 6 a.m. I begged the officer to run his plates to learn my sweet son was in a hospital with a gunshot wound to his head.

When I got to the County Hospital They had no record of my son. You see, 12 other young boys were brought in that night with gunshot wounds and were all listed under "unknown". I begged and pleaded for any word on my son but no one seemed to care. Gratefully, a nurse who had just ended her night shift took pity on me. She took me up to Head Trauma and asked me to wait as she checked to see if my son was there.

He was, and as I entered a large room I was directed to a dark corner. I found my son in the dark with his head bandaged, they left him there to die. I began to beg and plead for help for my baby and everyone was surprised I spoke English and had insurance.

Once my son was hooked up to the machines he fought so hard for 18 days but in the end, his poor young body was overtaken by sepsis. I had to sign papers to have him taken off life support. It is not like in the movies, there is nothing peaceful about it...

I had to bury my only son on his 19th birthday, the weekend before Thanksgiving. My whole world ended, my marriage fell apart and I struggled at work. It was a downward spiral, by the second year after losing my son, I had to take a leave of absence. I almost lost my house and my car, but thankfully I was able to return to work last November.

I have been doing my best and am slowly working to get out of debt but I have encountered some major challenges that have set me back. First, my plumbing, ac unit and roof are all breaking and making the house difficult to live in. I am very grateful the heater works but we all know Houston doesn't have a very long Winter.

Any money will go to house repairs, credit debt from funeral expenses and late mortgage payments due to fixing the plumbing in one bathroom. I can't give up and I hate asking for help but I am falling behind again. I love my job as a Reading Interventionist and am working after school and Saturdays but sadly it is not enough. I hope you can help me get on my feet. I am trying to stay positive and my Faith keeps me going but I am overwhelmed...