Support Mama and Papa Q in Their Time of Need

Barbara and Charles have been known as “Mama and Papa Q” affectionately by those names for good reason. They have both served as loving and generous parents for almost all children and teens who made their way through their home…and never stopped even as we became adults.

The cozy basement living room and bright kitchen of their home in Bergen County was always a welcome haven to all who were good friends to their loving daughter, Lauren, and no one was ever turned away. Food, drink, a place to sleep, even clothing was all given without any thought to expenses.

It didn’t matter if you had blue hair, a Mohawk, or were covered in eyeliner and safety pins. Mama and Papa Q loved all youth coming through their home as if they were their own. I can't think of any time that I was in their home and was not treated like family... and if it was not for their kindness and generosity, I don't think that I would be here to post today.

Unfortunately, they are in desperate need of funds to make Papa Q comfortable for as long as possible and are counting on the family they lovingly adopted to help them in their time of need.

Charles was diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer a few years ago but has been fighting with enthusiasm to see his beloved grandsons grow up. In February of 2023 their house of 32 years had a grease fire in the kitchen, causing catastrophic (water) damage to the house and all their belongings. They thankfully had insurance which helped repair the house by June of 2024.

In early April of 2024, Barbara, became terribly sick from a kidney stone resulting in renal failure and full body sepsis. She still is recovering but is a strong lady and is making incredible strides to become dads full time nurse again.

On April 27th Papa Q got ill while at the infusion center and was admitted to the hospital. He was discharged May 3rd to the care of his daughter Lauren, who went on medical leave from work to manage care, while at the same time taking care of her two little boys.

Lauren and her best friend, Marissa, spent June working hard to get the house ready for their discharge so Lauren's folks could come back to their own home at last.

But with living in this house, it became apparent the plumbing was a much bigger issue than they expected…

…It turns out in 2019, PSEG did road work on their street, a county road which dislodged the houses main drain line from the sewer line in the street. The sludge from the fire clogged up the few hundred yards of drain line but ultimately there was nowhere for the waste to go, so it backs up and flows back into the house. The plumbing company quoted 16K to repair the sewer, main drain line and road. We contacted PSEG, the town and the county, but it seems like they are ultimately responsible for fixing this and they haven't done anything to correct the situation.

So far, Lauren has only received the first bill for Mama Q’s nursing home stay, the month of May and June already over $10k; but nothing quoted yet for July or any of her father's stay. The goal is to raise funds to take care of this sewer problem so Papa Q can come home ASAP and have any needed funds for medical care and other necessities like food. They have been operating under the assumption that he would be discharged to their home at the end of September when his Medicare coverage runs out.

Please help with anything you can spare so we can focus on keeping Lauren’s mom and dad comfortable and safe without having Lauren and Barbara stressed on the the insurmountable pile of bills while Papa Q spends his last days with his family.

These wonderful parents helped so many in their time of need and provided a family to those who needed it most. Now it’s time for us to show up for them.

Thank you for reading and for your generous donations. It really means the world to us.