Help Sue Barrera stay in her home

My name is Jan Hetherington. Many of you already know, for some of you this will come as new information, but our good friend Sue Barrera needs our help. I have known Sue since the mid 1990’s. We met via our mutual love of Cajun & Zydeco music and dancing. Our friendship also developed into a business cooperation, as well as me being able to utilize her wonderful organizing skills for my wedding and my personal life, especially when I needed lots of support after an accident.

As long as I have known Sue she has had my back, and the backs of her friends and family. It would be wonderful if we can now have Sue’s back!

As you may know, the University of California, Berkeley, Survivor Benefits Department has declined her application to receive Mario’s monthly pension of $3,000, leaving her with fast-depleting funds and no supplemental medical or prescription coverage. There will be an appeals process, but that is complicated and will take many months. And there is no assurance the UC Legal Department will change the decision. I know that Mario would be absolutely devastated if he knew that this was happening to his beloved Sue. For all the time I knew Mario he absolutely took care of Sue and Miguel. That was never a question.

To help Sue get through this very unexpected development in her life, we are setting up a GoFundMe site. If you are able, please consider making a small donation on a monthly basis. Any amount will help her. (When you start the process, GoFundMe has options to pay one time or monthly.) The tip they list to add to your donation is voluntary and can be bypassed.

I’ll let Sue say more about her situation …

Sue here. Mario and I were committed to our relationship from the beginning until the end of his life in March of 2024. It didn’t matter what was going on, or what challenges the relationship had – the commitment was always there.

We trusted each other and knew our relationship was primary. We could trust each other because we were not jealous or possessive of each other. Because of this, we allowed each other to have separate experiences and friends without judgement nor the need to wonder or worry if we were enough. We knew we were enough and more – knew it for sure. Always.

Even after this devastating news sank in, I never thought I would ever be doing this and I apologize for asking for assistance.

Mario and I met in 1963 and have been married most of the years since – 54 to be exact. But UC has a rule that you have to be married continuously from the time of retirement to the time of death. Mario retired in 2000 and in 2003 he married Dee so she would have access to his medical coverage for a potential heart transplant. She never was well enough for that and died in 2006. Thus, even though I was married to him when he retired, remarried in 2012, and married to him when he died, I do not qualify to receive his pension. We got an amicable divorce in 2002 and he arranged for my medical coverage. We had no idea the impact marrying her would have on his pension.

Mario broke his ankle in May 2023. We had caregivers 8 hours a day until his death on March 29, 2024. I applied to UC Berkeley to receive the part of his monthly pension to which I am entitled, $3,000. UC immediately stopped paying the pension and also cancelled my supplemental medical and prescription coverage.

Since April 2024 I’ve been withdrawing funds from an investment/savings account every month. If I continue to do that, in about 3 years I will be without enough funds for living expenses to stay in this house and continue the life I have grown accustomed to. As you may know, I have created a beautiful home and yard here and would like to stay here as long as I can.

I have prepared an Income/Expenses statement which I would be happy to share with you upon request. If, by any chance, UC Legal Department finds in my favor, I will, of course, let you know.

Thanks for letting me share this with you. I promise regular updates on my situation.

Thank you in advance for your loving assistance.