Help For A Struggling Family
Donation protected
Asking for help is never an easy thing and it is especially tough when you are proud. We are a very proud family for sure. So many people have reached out to us over the years and been there for us. It seemed crazy to reach out in this manner.
Then, I realized something.
Life keeps going and sometimes it simply is not fair. Sometimes things happen that are impossible to control.
We are a very blessed family that has been lucky in many ways. That said, we have had a very difficult life in some ways as well.
Our twin daughters were born at only 25 weeks and spent the better part of the first year in the NICU. There were concerns that they would not make it and things were extremely sticky for a long time. They had many surgeries including a colostomy for our daughter Valerie and Brain surgery to relieve pressure for Brooke. They also both were on the ventilators and had countless challenges in those first years. They were only about 2 pounds.
For years after the fact, we have had to have therapists, carefully selected diets and the like to help the girls along. These were both in house and also at their schools over the years. The expenses for this was extremely high over time when you figure gas, food costs, medical and so on. Everything times two! It was a labor of love, but it certainly wiped us out.
Now, 12 years into their young lives, they are thriving, intelligent and brilliant young ladies. They have started to really blossom and make incredible grades...anyone that knows them knows just how happy and wonderful they are. In short, we did right by our kids and live for them every single day.
All of this did have major impacts, however. Someone had to be home with them. I became a writer and website worker so that I could be home and take care of the girls. Julie continues to work (well into her tenth year) for Chick Fil A as a supervisor. Combined we have done okay, but meeting the bills has been challenging to say the least.
We also have had no medical insurance through a great deal of this so you can imagine the financial devastation that has caused. That brings us to where we are now. We did all the things we had to do for our girls and will continue to do so, but our credit is loaded with medical bills and costs. The backlash from this has left us behind on so many things.
We want nothing more than to just get back to even and start fresh so that we might one day get our home we dream of. As it stands now we are facing some pretty major and immediate problems. We have been on a medical merry go round with health problems, we have had several tragedies that has struck our family in the past year and now we are feeling the strain of it all.
With so many wonderful friends and folks out there that we know and love, I had several friends suggest for quite some time that I do this. I know there are people out there that need it more, and that is what makes this so tough. I would much rather be on the giving end of this equation. That said, we do need the help and we have tried to do things the right way.
If you help, your donation would go directly towards catching us up and taking care of some things that have been lacking for years for us. Our current bills have perpetually been behind, so most of this is about getting back to even so we have a chance to right the ship so to speak. The money would also be used to do some things we have dreamed of for years for the kids. We want to get them into a charter school if possible because that personal touch is something they would benefit from greatly. This is likely a pipe dream, but the beginnings start with us being back to square one.
Please know that we love you all no matter what you can or can't do. We are not wanting anyone to stretch beyond their comfort and God knows, we relate to not being able to help when we want to. I simply feel as though reaching out was the right thing to do for my family. I pray nobody judges me for that decision and they understand we are simply very tired.... It has been a long road and though we fight forward, we are feeling a bit defeated at the moment.
Thank goodness for God's mercy and love. He empowers me when nothing else will. God bless you guys and know we love and support you all.
Then, I realized something.
Life keeps going and sometimes it simply is not fair. Sometimes things happen that are impossible to control.
We are a very blessed family that has been lucky in many ways. That said, we have had a very difficult life in some ways as well.
Our twin daughters were born at only 25 weeks and spent the better part of the first year in the NICU. There were concerns that they would not make it and things were extremely sticky for a long time. They had many surgeries including a colostomy for our daughter Valerie and Brain surgery to relieve pressure for Brooke. They also both were on the ventilators and had countless challenges in those first years. They were only about 2 pounds.
For years after the fact, we have had to have therapists, carefully selected diets and the like to help the girls along. These were both in house and also at their schools over the years. The expenses for this was extremely high over time when you figure gas, food costs, medical and so on. Everything times two! It was a labor of love, but it certainly wiped us out.
Now, 12 years into their young lives, they are thriving, intelligent and brilliant young ladies. They have started to really blossom and make incredible grades...anyone that knows them knows just how happy and wonderful they are. In short, we did right by our kids and live for them every single day.
All of this did have major impacts, however. Someone had to be home with them. I became a writer and website worker so that I could be home and take care of the girls. Julie continues to work (well into her tenth year) for Chick Fil A as a supervisor. Combined we have done okay, but meeting the bills has been challenging to say the least.
We also have had no medical insurance through a great deal of this so you can imagine the financial devastation that has caused. That brings us to where we are now. We did all the things we had to do for our girls and will continue to do so, but our credit is loaded with medical bills and costs. The backlash from this has left us behind on so many things.
We want nothing more than to just get back to even and start fresh so that we might one day get our home we dream of. As it stands now we are facing some pretty major and immediate problems. We have been on a medical merry go round with health problems, we have had several tragedies that has struck our family in the past year and now we are feeling the strain of it all.
With so many wonderful friends and folks out there that we know and love, I had several friends suggest for quite some time that I do this. I know there are people out there that need it more, and that is what makes this so tough. I would much rather be on the giving end of this equation. That said, we do need the help and we have tried to do things the right way.
If you help, your donation would go directly towards catching us up and taking care of some things that have been lacking for years for us. Our current bills have perpetually been behind, so most of this is about getting back to even so we have a chance to right the ship so to speak. The money would also be used to do some things we have dreamed of for years for the kids. We want to get them into a charter school if possible because that personal touch is something they would benefit from greatly. This is likely a pipe dream, but the beginnings start with us being back to square one.
Please know that we love you all no matter what you can or can't do. We are not wanting anyone to stretch beyond their comfort and God knows, we relate to not being able to help when we want to. I simply feel as though reaching out was the right thing to do for my family. I pray nobody judges me for that decision and they understand we are simply very tired.... It has been a long road and though we fight forward, we are feeling a bit defeated at the moment.
Thank goodness for God's mercy and love. He empowers me when nothing else will. God bless you guys and know we love and support you all.
Organizer
Rodney Southern
Organizer
Greensboro, NC
