- K
- C
Elizabeth hurried down the stairs after dressing her daughter for school. Her husband still could not get out of bed. There at the empty breakfast table sat her 11-year-old son, staring out the window at the grey November morning.
“Daniel,” she said, “Hurry up! Why aren’t you eating breakfast? You will be late for school!”
Daniel looked at his mother and said quietly, “I can’t, mamma. There is nothing left.”
Elizabeth opened the fridge and stared at the empty shelves, fighting back tears. Nothing left. She looked out the window at the brown yard and the cold sky that promised snow. She didn’t know what else to do.
We’re sitting in her living room as Elizabeth tells me her story. The boys are upstairs, drawing out the final minutes of their sleepover. I think of my son, of his excitement at being asked to spend the night with his friend. Of Christmas, barely a month away. Of the snow. There must be something we can do.
Who is the Aranyil family?
Born in Hungary, Elizabeth and Csaba Aranyil brought their four children to Saskatoon in November 2010. They had dreams of owning their own home, and while the rise in housing prices threw some unexpected obstacles in their way, they never gave up hope. After being blessed with the opportunity to stay in low income housing, Csaba worked hard to save for his family, and in March 2015, he was able to move everyone into a rental home of their own, with a backyard and enough rooms to go around. It was an exciting time.
What went wrong?
But in the early morning hours of July 23, 2015, Elizabeth received a phone call that would change everything. Csaba was being rushed from work to the hospital, where they discovered he had a ruptured aneurysm on his aorta. Fighting to keep him alive, the doctors prepared for open-heart surgery, and after 11 hours he was returned to the ICU, in a coma, but still clinging to life. He would be there for 18 more days, and twice the doctors would call Elizabeth at home and tell her to bring the children in to say goodbye to their father. She spent those weeks torn between staying at home with the children and being with Csaba, in case he should wake up or, the thought that terrified her most, slip away.
The Rock and the Hard Place
For the past four months, Elizabeth has struggled to keep her family afloat. Csaba was the sole income-earner, but because his job as a truck driver was subcontracted, he has no access to disability or benefits through work. Elizabeth must care for the children and Csaba now that he is recovering at home, and while there are government programs, there are no guarantees and the application processes are slow. EI runs out this month, and CPP benefits cannot begin for 26 more weeks. They cannot return to low-income housing, as there is a three-year waiting list, and they cannot move to a new home with lower rent, as no one will give them a lease without a regular source of income. The two oldest children are working and provide as much support as they can, but they cannot carry this burden alone.
What do they need?
Elizabeth and Csaba must come up with $2000 by December 15, or they will be homeless on January 1, and they will face that same dilemma every month until Csaba’s CPP benefits begin in March 2016.
We hope to raise $12000 so that Elizabeth and Csaba will not have to worry about how they will pay their rent until that time. If we reach our goal, it will mean that the children will have a safe home for the winter while Csaba and Elizabeth plan for the future, and it will give Csaba an opportunity to heal.
In the event that Elizabeth and Csaba are able to qualify for social assistance in the near future, all donations will be used to supplement the family’s rent long-term, as Csaba will require a second surgery on his heart once he has recovered sufficiently from this operation.
Anything you can offer to help Elizabeth and Csaba keep their home would be greatly appreciated.
For further information, please refer to the contact information below.
Elizabeth and Csaba:
[email redacted]
Leanne Bellamy:
[email redacted]
“Daniel,” she said, “Hurry up! Why aren’t you eating breakfast? You will be late for school!”
Daniel looked at his mother and said quietly, “I can’t, mamma. There is nothing left.”
Elizabeth opened the fridge and stared at the empty shelves, fighting back tears. Nothing left. She looked out the window at the brown yard and the cold sky that promised snow. She didn’t know what else to do.
We’re sitting in her living room as Elizabeth tells me her story. The boys are upstairs, drawing out the final minutes of their sleepover. I think of my son, of his excitement at being asked to spend the night with his friend. Of Christmas, barely a month away. Of the snow. There must be something we can do.
Who is the Aranyil family?
Born in Hungary, Elizabeth and Csaba Aranyil brought their four children to Saskatoon in November 2010. They had dreams of owning their own home, and while the rise in housing prices threw some unexpected obstacles in their way, they never gave up hope. After being blessed with the opportunity to stay in low income housing, Csaba worked hard to save for his family, and in March 2015, he was able to move everyone into a rental home of their own, with a backyard and enough rooms to go around. It was an exciting time.
What went wrong?
But in the early morning hours of July 23, 2015, Elizabeth received a phone call that would change everything. Csaba was being rushed from work to the hospital, where they discovered he had a ruptured aneurysm on his aorta. Fighting to keep him alive, the doctors prepared for open-heart surgery, and after 11 hours he was returned to the ICU, in a coma, but still clinging to life. He would be there for 18 more days, and twice the doctors would call Elizabeth at home and tell her to bring the children in to say goodbye to their father. She spent those weeks torn between staying at home with the children and being with Csaba, in case he should wake up or, the thought that terrified her most, slip away.
The Rock and the Hard Place
For the past four months, Elizabeth has struggled to keep her family afloat. Csaba was the sole income-earner, but because his job as a truck driver was subcontracted, he has no access to disability or benefits through work. Elizabeth must care for the children and Csaba now that he is recovering at home, and while there are government programs, there are no guarantees and the application processes are slow. EI runs out this month, and CPP benefits cannot begin for 26 more weeks. They cannot return to low-income housing, as there is a three-year waiting list, and they cannot move to a new home with lower rent, as no one will give them a lease without a regular source of income. The two oldest children are working and provide as much support as they can, but they cannot carry this burden alone.
What do they need?
Elizabeth and Csaba must come up with $2000 by December 15, or they will be homeless on January 1, and they will face that same dilemma every month until Csaba’s CPP benefits begin in March 2016.
We hope to raise $12000 so that Elizabeth and Csaba will not have to worry about how they will pay their rent until that time. If we reach our goal, it will mean that the children will have a safe home for the winter while Csaba and Elizabeth plan for the future, and it will give Csaba an opportunity to heal.
In the event that Elizabeth and Csaba are able to qualify for social assistance in the near future, all donations will be used to supplement the family’s rent long-term, as Csaba will require a second surgery on his heart once he has recovered sufficiently from this operation.
Anything you can offer to help Elizabeth and Csaba keep their home would be greatly appreciated.
For further information, please refer to the contact information below.
Elizabeth and Csaba:
[email redacted]
Leanne Bellamy:
[email redacted]