A plea, from Jonni Masella, for her mother

 

 I'm her pillar and she is mine.  I need to make sure she is taken care of. When you are the sole provider, caring for your fragile 91-year old mother through a major pandemic you never imagine that you, yourself, will become incapacitated - leaving your mother alone with caretakers.

 

 I've suffered through lymphoma for many years and underwent brain surgery which left me blind in one eye. My mother taught me to be a warrior, and so I have kept fighting and pushing to be the support my mother deserves. However, at this moment, circumstances are preventing me from meeting the challenge.

 

 I was recently admitted to the hospital to address lymphoma-related complications impacting my brain.  What was initially expected to be a week of testing was extended due to a fluid build-up in my lungs and now is further compounded by a COVID diagnosis. I am now in an Intensive Care unit and being monitored around the clock.

 

 My plea, however, is for my mother, Lula DeCosmo, the last surviving matriarch of our family. She is kindness personified and has fought through life with a rare and unparalleled voracity.

 

Facing her own health challenges, she is now alone, relying on the care and compassion of a home aid for which I have been paying. Imagine being 91, with limited mobility and the only familiar familial face being taken away.

 

 In these crazy times we are all facing heavy burdens. Sometimes these journeys bring upon us loads that are too much to bear alone.  This is when we put pride aside and lean on our friends and family for support - without which my mother will have no healthcare aids or the quality of life that I've struggled so hard to maintain for her.  She deserves all the dignity she has offered so many throughout her life.

 

We need your financial support to maintain her 24-hour aid and to allow her to survive my absence. You are an integral part of her ability to see another day in this world and for my peace of mind knowing she will not be left as I struggle through, what seems like an insurmountable moment in my life. Please find it in your heart to help in any way possible. It’s appreciated more than you will ever know!

$8,400 per month for 24hr aids
@  approx $150per 12hr shift