Melissa’s Road to Recovery
Happy New Year! When the clock strikes 12 midnight on December 31st and the New Year begins one minute after, people are filled with hope that the New Year will be better than the previous one. Voices speak of resolutions, prosperity, good health and happiness for the year ahead. For Melissa Morrison a mother of two and the primary bread winner of her family, 2015 is filled with uncertainty about her health and how she take care for her family. Melissa is in the Apple Re-hab Facility recovering from an accident that occurred in December. Melissa is on a long mission to recovery.
On December 4, 2014 Melissa slipped on ice and fell down her back stairs. She landed on the concrete slab at the bottom of the stairs with her leg bent behind her. She lay at the bottom of the stairs, immobile, until help came. She was sent to Bristol Hospital and then the Hospital of Central CT where it was confirmed that she had broken her ankle (almost severed) and her leg in two places, but everything was too swollen to do anything but wait. No weight at all could be put on her injured ankle/leg but to make matters worse her weight could not be supported by her other foot due to a birth defect. When Melissa was a young teen it was discovered that her left ankle had a birth defect and was fused together with a rod and pins holding it in place.
She is now completely immobile; unable to go to work, unable to provide for her family. Melissa has worked for the same company for 9 years. She is a hard worker and a dedicated employee working 6 days a week. Unfortunately the company does not offer any benifits, all she had was one week’s paid vacation. She is now alone to figure it out.
On Monday December 15, 2014 Melissa was operated on at Hartford Hospital. A plate and 7 screws attached her ankle and her Fibia bone. The Tibia bone was also fractured but has to heal on its own. On December 17, 2014 Melissa was transferred to Apple Re-Hab Center in Cromwell CT. She will remain there for at least three months while they first strengthen her left foot and leg before they can even attempt to start to re-hab her injured ankle/leg.
On Jan 13th Melissa went by ambulance to see her surgeon. Her cast was replaced with another and her prognosis remainind the same - she cannot put any weight on her foot/leg and she has to remain in the re-hab facitity until further notice.
Melissa has a long road to recovery ahead of her. What does she do in the mean time? How does a Mom unable to work take care of her children? Over the Christmas holiday family and friends chipped in to buy the kids Christmas presents and pay her December bills. No one wanted a five year old to wake up to no Santa Clause. But now the holidays are over and the season of giving is behind us. We are busy getting back to work and school and the demands of daily life. But what about Melissa?
Since she does not have the money to pay her upcoming rent the landlord has the right to evict her and her family and she is concerned about that. The Department of Social Services has said Melissa is not eligible for assistance during this time. So what does she do? We are turning to all of you and ask that you donate whatever you can, even $5.00 will help. Melissa is a wonderful, giving person. Ready to help anyone in need, always there for her family and friends.
Please look into your heart and help us to raise our goal of $15,000 to help Melissa and her family get through this tragic period in her life. There is rent, food, bills, child care and transportation costs to manage while Melissa uses all her inner and outer strength to repair and heal her injuries so she can eventually return to work and to her family.
At this point in her recovery the future is uncertain. Will she need more surgeries? Will she have to move to a first floor, handicapped access apartment? Will her mother have to quit her job to help care for her children? We just don’t know. But with your generosity, with a little bit from a lot of people, we can ease Melissa’s constant worry and anxiety. Her children will sleep easy, knowing there is nothing for them to worry about while their mother is recovering. Your donation does not have to be much. Every bit will help.