Support Deborah's Journey to Sight and Stability

My name is Arthur Soares, but this story and fundraiser isn't about me; it's about my neighbor, Deborah Gales. I met Miss Gales about a year ago through her 18-year-old son, Tucker. I was looking for someone to help me, and her son Tucker, who had just turned 18, was shy but a hard worker and was a great help. I could tell he had a lot of weight on his shoulders, and after several months, he began to trust me enough to tell me his story. Tucker, since he was very young, had an abusive father, and of course, he was also abusive to his mother. I won't go into all the details, but Tucker's father had deceased when Tucker was 13. Tucker and his mother had been living on death benefits of about $1200 a month. His mother was able to budget this, and it covered all their food, house payments, and utilities. However, since he had just turned 18, the benefits had been cut off. You might ask, why hadn't Miss Gales gotten a job to help support them? The answer is, Miss Gales hasn't been able to see. She has cataracts and hasn't had money to have anything done about it. Her left eye she cannot see at all, and in her right eye, she can see to read but only if she holds the items inches from her eye and not for very long. It gives her headaches. She had been supporting them both with no vision and on $1200.00 a month for the last 5 years, and keeping everything current until the benefits had been cut off. Tucker tried his best, keeping up with the bills for someone with no learner's license, and no vehicle to get back and forth to work, and living in a very rural area made work hard to come by. I gave him some work but not enough to really keep up with everything. In the beginning, I didn't know the story or extent of their struggles. His mother would come to our house and try to help to earn some money, but with no vision to speak of, it was very difficult. She had said to me many times, "I want to work; I want to be a productive member of society. I just don't know what I can do to get there?" I have helped Tucker get his license and even gave them a car to use, but unfortunately, Tucker made mistakes. I truly believe the stress and weight of supporting the house for the young man was too much; he currently is in jail. So now Deborah is on her own. I have helped Deborah fill out paperwork to get food stamps, which she's been approved for. We have applied for Medicaid three times and been denied. I have applied for healthcare marketplace, indigent care, and about 10 other sources, and all have denied. She cannot qualify for SSI due to the fact cataracts are recoverable, and she is not classified as legally blind. I have taken her to eye exams, and we have scheduled the first surgery on Sept 30. The cost of the surgery is about $3,700.00 per eye for basic surgery and medication she will need. She hasn't been able to work due to her condition and needs about $5,000.00 just to catch her up on her house payments before they foreclose. She will also need to pay bills during this time and hopefully get a car so she can begin to work. I pray that the community and my friends will find it in their hearts to help my neighbor, and now my friend. This is more than I can do on my own, and I appreciate others who have already helped. Please keep her in prayer, and give me the wisdom to speak peace and love of Christ to her, to give her comfort through this struggling time for her. Feel free to contact me personally if you have questions. Thank you in advance. Please feel free to share and spread the word. Matthew 13

Medical bills $7,500

Back payments $5,000

next 3 month utilities $900

car for going to and from work remainder money