Help Our Family Make This Transition : A Mother's Plea

Story

Hello. My name is Marie. My husband is Sam and we have three boys- William who is 10 years old, Sammy who is 8 years old, and Marcellus who is 6 months old. We live in a small town in Northern California. In 2014, when William was just 4 months old, after living in a quaint apartment, we moved into a house that had just been sold. It instantly became home. In the course of 10 years, we have put so much love, energy, time, money, and positive intention into our home. We created a beautiful garden in the backyard and front yard, with fountains and flowering plants for the birds, the bees, and other insects. Our home has been our sanctuary. I birthed Sammy in our bedroom, and I birthed Marcellus in the guest bathroom. Our home is where William, Sammy, and Marcellus had their first smile. This is where William and Sammy learned how to crawl, walk, garden, run, cook, bake, sing, and ride a bike. This home is their school and Sam and I are their teachers, and they are our teachers. In the end of 2019, Sam went to the doctor after having complained about pain in his knees that had become unbearable. The doctor told him that he should file a workers compensation claim as his knee pain was a result of his work in the plumbing industry. He filed a claim and began to see doctors who prescribed physical therapy and obtained X-rays and MRIs. He was diagnosed with stage 4 severe osteoarthritis in his knees. He continued to work for a few more months until the pain was unbearable and he could no longer do his job, to the point where it was too much for him to get out of his work van, and walk a few steps to our home. He was also experiencing back pain and pain in his wrist from years of lifting and working with tools. It was a very hard for him to stop working and he became depressed. In the fall of 2020, he had surgery for his knees which ultimately did not help at all and caused his pain levels to increase. It was really hard to see him go from being a very active person who could crawl around the house with one of our kids on his back, walk and hike for miles, to being quite sedentary from being in so much pain. I thought that physical limitations were something we would encounter when we were much older, in our senior years, and we didn’t expect this to happen at all, especially in his mid 40’s. This changed our family dynamic instantly as all the physical responsibilities in the home such as taking out the trash, mowing, grocery shopping, bringing the groceries in, lifting and moving anything, and taking the children outdoors to be in nature for hours and exercise were passed on to me. This pushed me to focus on my physical health so I began strength training in order to keep up with the physical demands I had to accomplish everyday. Sam received a service dog through Canine Companions that helps him pick up dropped items (cane, keys, wallet), open doors, pulls heavy objects and accompanies him to the store. She helps keep him up when he is feeling down. She is a great addition to our family and the boys love her very much. Sam is now taking online classes through a local community college to work towards a degree in psychology. In March, the daughter of our landlord called to tell us that her mother had died, and that everything is going to stay the same in terms of paying rent and the manner in which we were paying. A few days after that, she came over and handed us a letter that they are selling the house and that we have 75 days to move. She is now requesting that we move within less than 60 days. After weeks of feeling grief, depression, and despair from being hit with this news, we are so grateful that we found our next home, with owners who have a family and have been very kind and accommodating. It's been an extremely stressful time having to pack, declutter, do multiple dump runs, all while homeschooling and taking care of two little ones and a baby, while breastfeeding, pumping multiple times a day, nap times and barely getting any sleep at night. I am still deep in the early postpartum period recovering from an extremely challenging beginning with Marcellus, and this whole situation has been so hard on my heart and my soul. Our new home is an hour away. We had to hire a moving company to help us and that is going to cost a minimum of $5,000. We've rented a U-Haul trailer and have done a few days of moving our outdoor furniture and vegetable pots as a family, and we are exhausted and depleted. We would truly appreciate any help with the cost of moving, gas, and food. There is just no time for me to cook, and almost all of our kitchen items are packed. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. It would mean the world to us if you could help us in any way. With heart, Marie, Sam, William, Sammy, and Marcellus