Sometimes bad things happen to good people. You're going to read about a tragic accident that added to the hardship of an amazing woman. We all know that kind, sweet, old lady that always tries to feed you and always makes you feel loved and worthy. I'm not just saying this because she's my mom, but because it's true to everyone who knows her. She has always sacrificed to help those in need, and now she finds herself in a situation where she is the one in need.

The Crash!

Witnesses stated they saw a big truck cross lanes into oncoming traffic. My mom was in the oncoming lane and the truck was about to crash into her vehicle. Her instinct was to swerve off the road to avoid a head-on collision. That caused her to lose control and her car flipped over. The other driver didn't even stop.

Injury!

My mom was in a ditch, hanging upside down by her seatbelt, with a broken back. I'll skip the pain and agony she described from releasing her seatbelt, falling into the roof, and escaping in fear that the car would catch fire. At the hospital, doctors informed her that her back was broken at her L1 vertebra. Thankfully, she's not fully paralyzed.

Totaled Car!

Being on a fixed income, she wasn't able to maintain vehicle insurance with her current rent and bills. She had to leave her only vehicle upside down in the ditch as she was hauled off to the hospital in an ambulance. Since the other driver didn't stop and provide their insurance, this burden would land solely on my mom to bear. Even though the car is totaled, it still runs and we were able to get it back from the tow company. It's beat up from front to back and probably shouldn't be driven, but it's her only vehicle.

Eviction?

On top of her car being totaled, her landlord is threatening to evict her. Without notice, he increased rent for her dogs that he already knew about when she moved in. He has saddled her with paying the water bill, which has multiple other rental units on it. That water bill is now well over $800 and she has no way of paying it. He has failed to do basic and necessary repairs, and water is leaking through the roof in the kitchen and around the windows. Unfortunately, rentals are very hard to come by in the area and we are having trouble finding another place for her to move to.

Spinal Surgery!

After the crash, doctors sent her home with a broken back, saying there was nothing they could do for her. At follow-up appointments, they said her back was healing and surgery wasn't necessary. She fought through pain at Thanksgiving to teach her granddaughters how to make her famous chicken and dumplings. However, her problems only got worse and she later found out that her spinal injury wasn't actually healing. It was, in fact, smashing into her other vertebrae. In a strange turn of events, after going to the hospital for pneumonia, the doctors looked at her back and saw extensive damage. This led doctors to rush her into spinal surgery within 48 hours. Thankfully, the surgery seems to have gone well and now she can move into the recovery phase.

Recovery!

With her current landlord and housing instability, and her 6-month expected recovery time, she is considering going into a nursing home to recover. It would break her heart to leave her dogs for that long, and she may not even have a home by the time she gets out. She would never outright ask for help or want to burden anyone else with her struggles. However, every donation helps bless a woman who has blessed so many. It will help her with a replacement vehicle and housing stability during this long road to recovery.

UPDATE: My Mother is in a lot of pain from the spinal surgery. However, we are thankful that her road to recovery begins today. The doctors feel the surgery went well and she will be moving to a nursing home today to begin rehabilitation on her back. Thanks to everyone who donated and shared!