HI! We're Ken and Wendy Dawson and this is our "son," Devin Ferguson, who became part of our lives 28 years ago when he was twelve and was one of the students my husband taught at Hatch Middle School in Camden, NJ. Devin became part of our family, living on and off with us and our seven children for several years, as his father was in prison, his mom was dealing with a drug addiction, and his great-grandmother was often not able to care for him. Devin is a fantastic person, overcoming great odds and choosing at an early age to never drink,  take drugs or get involved with gangs. I remember seeing him when my husband first brought him to our door and thinking, this boy  needs a lot of care and direction, in addition to new clothes and a haircut! We did our best to help him, taking him on trips, to church, and eventually into our home. He did well for himself and finished school, and took up music and video production, while also operating as a Lyft driver. And though we are separated by many miles now, Devin is  a part of our family and what happens to him affects us greatly.

Recently, on December 16th, just three days before his 40th birthday, Devin suffered a serious stroke that caused his right arm and leg to severely weaken.  He has limited use of them, although we are hopeful he will soon improve with his physical therapy. Unfortunately, when he returned to his apartment on January 2nd, there had been a leak which caused his ceiling, walls and rugs to be wet. The repairs have been slow and have caused his apartment to be pulled apart and disarrayed, making it stressful and difficult for him to get around. As of this day, because of his requests to complete the repairs, his landlord issued him a ten day eviction notice, citing him as a "nuisance." I am reaching out to friends and family on his behalf, to see if we, together, might be able to help our Devin get through this difficult time, as he will be unable to work for some time, and we are unsure of when his SSDI might come through, for which he has applied. He will need money for necessities, rent and/or a deposit, and he is now two months behind on his car payment and insurance. If you are able to help him with a gift of any size, I know he would greatly appreciate it, and would tell you, "God bless you!!" He often calls me his "Fairy Godmother," so I am hoping I can make some magic happen for him! Thank you, all.