Great Memories and History of FWI
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In 2008 I was living in Kentucky, Tom in Fort Wayne. For a few months we had been talking on the phone with one another, reconnecting after 38 years. We met in 7th grade at Jefferson Junior High in Fort Wayne. We grew up less than a mile away from one another, losing contact when Tom moved up around the lakes.
In May of that year, Tom told me that he hurt his shoulder at work. He went his Human Resource person who told him he had to go to his own doctor, that they would not turn it into their Workers Compensation Insurance. He had to get an attorney so that he could seek care for his injury. When his employer found out he had sought an attorney, he was put on unpaid leave while it was sorted out.
By December of 2008 we had decided to embark on a life together. I left Kentucky in December and headed for my home town, Fort Wayne. My intention was to try to get a job at Lincoln Financial in Fort Wayne, where I had spent almost 20 years. I interviewed, was offered a job, and only had the drug test to go to start working. Overnight, with the financial crash of 2009 and the beginning of the recession, not only did that job offer go away, Lincoln laid off several hundred in Fort Wayne. Now, neither one of us were working.
By May of 2009, Tom's company had accepted liability for his shoulder. But they required he go through several months of physical therapy before agreeing to surgery. At that point he started receiving Workers Compensation pay which is only 60% of your normal pay. I was doing everything imaginable to get a job. In October they finally determined that Tom's shoulder required surgery and it was scheduled for December, then a six month recovery period. As soon as he was released to work again, his company promptly fired him for suing them. What little "settlement" he received was eaten up by attorney's fees and paying back child support since he hadn't been working.
To stay alive during that time, we sold almost every belonging that we'd accumulated in 50 years of life. I enrolled in college to try to increase my employability. We moved to Bloomington, then Indianapolis - where we finally got jobs. Remember, there were NO jobs to be had in the initial throes of the recession. In 2011 we found out that Tom could transfer his job to Lexington, KY. Since I had children and grandchildren here, we took the opportunity to move. I had been offered a job working for United Health Care on the Affordable Care Act. Finally, things were going to look up?
We arrived here in December of that year. At the same time, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the Affordable Care Act. They cancelled my job because of it, before I had even started. Over the next two years I worked any job I could get. Meijers, Amazon, Xerox (call center, horrible job). By that point, we were so far behind on everything, we were struggling just for daily survival.
In 2012, since we had no money, I got the bright idea that we could go roller skating for cheap entertainment, just like we had in 7th grade. Within 45 minutes, Tom had fallen and tore every ligament in his ankle, broke his ankle and his tibia. Nine months off of work, three surgeries, and a lifetime of pain from the injury - we were destroyed. The lowest point, height of the recession, I packed up family heirlooms and went from antique store to antique store until someone bought enough for a tank of gas for me to get work.
Two of my brothers stepped in and helped us out during that time. To date, we haven't been able to pay back a single dime. The nice jeep you see in some of our pictures, we had to sell it. My brothers put together $2500 to get us a beater to get to work.
In 2014 Tom rolled a riding lawmover over a hill and himself when mowing our yard which sits on a big hill. In 2016 he had hernia surgery. Every time we've thought things would level out, a new crisis has hit.
We have taken care of what medical bills we've been able to, but we'll spend the rest of our lives, with completely destroyed credit, trying to recover from what we've been through. We've had serious discussions about whether or not we could live in a tent long enough to make some headway. Tom is 59, I'm 58 - we have nothing for retirement because of all of this.
So we start racking our brains about how we can generate extra income. I tried to start a sewing business on the side, (please visit and like my page Kentucky Cottage on facebook), but I don't have the money for the materials and equipment I need to get it going.
Because Tom had so much down time from 2008 until now, he started, eight years ago, Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne. He's up to over 22,000 followers. He works diligently on it, he has stayed up all night many times posting yearbooks for people, doing research on family history for people. We have never added ads to the page for click bait - where we could draw a few cents every time someone clicked on one.
We have asked that our Great Memories family help us out in appreciation of 8 years of Tom's work. If 22,000 followers contributed $2.50 each, we would make our goal just to climb out of this hole and give us a chance at a normal existence. To date, about 150 people have donated, and we are deeply appreciative of their generosity. We are at 2.6% of our goal. We're not asking that you give us something for nothing. We're only askinng that you make a small donation to keep us going and show your appreciation of 8 years of Great Memories.
If you can donate, please do, we'd certainly do the same for you. We appreciate you, and have great affection for our Great Memories family.
In May of that year, Tom told me that he hurt his shoulder at work. He went his Human Resource person who told him he had to go to his own doctor, that they would not turn it into their Workers Compensation Insurance. He had to get an attorney so that he could seek care for his injury. When his employer found out he had sought an attorney, he was put on unpaid leave while it was sorted out.
By December of 2008 we had decided to embark on a life together. I left Kentucky in December and headed for my home town, Fort Wayne. My intention was to try to get a job at Lincoln Financial in Fort Wayne, where I had spent almost 20 years. I interviewed, was offered a job, and only had the drug test to go to start working. Overnight, with the financial crash of 2009 and the beginning of the recession, not only did that job offer go away, Lincoln laid off several hundred in Fort Wayne. Now, neither one of us were working.
By May of 2009, Tom's company had accepted liability for his shoulder. But they required he go through several months of physical therapy before agreeing to surgery. At that point he started receiving Workers Compensation pay which is only 60% of your normal pay. I was doing everything imaginable to get a job. In October they finally determined that Tom's shoulder required surgery and it was scheduled for December, then a six month recovery period. As soon as he was released to work again, his company promptly fired him for suing them. What little "settlement" he received was eaten up by attorney's fees and paying back child support since he hadn't been working.
To stay alive during that time, we sold almost every belonging that we'd accumulated in 50 years of life. I enrolled in college to try to increase my employability. We moved to Bloomington, then Indianapolis - where we finally got jobs. Remember, there were NO jobs to be had in the initial throes of the recession. In 2011 we found out that Tom could transfer his job to Lexington, KY. Since I had children and grandchildren here, we took the opportunity to move. I had been offered a job working for United Health Care on the Affordable Care Act. Finally, things were going to look up?
We arrived here in December of that year. At the same time, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the Affordable Care Act. They cancelled my job because of it, before I had even started. Over the next two years I worked any job I could get. Meijers, Amazon, Xerox (call center, horrible job). By that point, we were so far behind on everything, we were struggling just for daily survival.
In 2012, since we had no money, I got the bright idea that we could go roller skating for cheap entertainment, just like we had in 7th grade. Within 45 minutes, Tom had fallen and tore every ligament in his ankle, broke his ankle and his tibia. Nine months off of work, three surgeries, and a lifetime of pain from the injury - we were destroyed. The lowest point, height of the recession, I packed up family heirlooms and went from antique store to antique store until someone bought enough for a tank of gas for me to get work.
Two of my brothers stepped in and helped us out during that time. To date, we haven't been able to pay back a single dime. The nice jeep you see in some of our pictures, we had to sell it. My brothers put together $2500 to get us a beater to get to work.
In 2014 Tom rolled a riding lawmover over a hill and himself when mowing our yard which sits on a big hill. In 2016 he had hernia surgery. Every time we've thought things would level out, a new crisis has hit.
We have taken care of what medical bills we've been able to, but we'll spend the rest of our lives, with completely destroyed credit, trying to recover from what we've been through. We've had serious discussions about whether or not we could live in a tent long enough to make some headway. Tom is 59, I'm 58 - we have nothing for retirement because of all of this.
So we start racking our brains about how we can generate extra income. I tried to start a sewing business on the side, (please visit and like my page Kentucky Cottage on facebook), but I don't have the money for the materials and equipment I need to get it going.
Because Tom had so much down time from 2008 until now, he started, eight years ago, Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne. He's up to over 22,000 followers. He works diligently on it, he has stayed up all night many times posting yearbooks for people, doing research on family history for people. We have never added ads to the page for click bait - where we could draw a few cents every time someone clicked on one.
We have asked that our Great Memories family help us out in appreciation of 8 years of Tom's work. If 22,000 followers contributed $2.50 each, we would make our goal just to climb out of this hole and give us a chance at a normal existence. To date, about 150 people have donated, and we are deeply appreciative of their generosity. We are at 2.6% of our goal. We're not asking that you give us something for nothing. We're only askinng that you make a small donation to keep us going and show your appreciation of 8 years of Great Memories.
If you can donate, please do, we'd certainly do the same for you. We appreciate you, and have great affection for our Great Memories family.
Organisateur
Tommy Fitzwater
Organisateur
Frankfort, KY