Susie Nielsen needs help

Hi! I’m Heidi Baldwin-Kirchhoff and this is Susie Nielsen.

Susie has lived in Denver her whole life. She is someone that is quite easy to like, who has an easy laugh and very sweet personality. As a friend and as a co-worker she always went the extra mile for those around her. Four years ago, she was working hard in management for a small local business. She was excelling at her job.
Then one day she felt like she was getting the flu and called in sick to work. She felt really guilty about calling into work but just had to stay home. The next day she felt worse and made her way to the Urgent Care Clinic. The clinic couldn't pinpoint the problem so they sent her to the emergency room. She had just finished filling out the required forms and was on her way back to her seat when her legs completely gave out on her. They put her on a hospital bed and that was the last thing Susie remembered.
Two weeks later she woke up from a coma and could no longer walk. West Nile Virus had attacked her nervous system. She spent the next six months in rehabilitation hospitals. During that time her house was equipped to accommodate her new physical condition. The house now has a long wheelchair ramp in front of it and a new bathroom shower was installed for her to use. She now sleeps in a hospital bed in her bedroom and has not been able to regain nerve function and strength in her left leg. She tires easily and can only complete so many tasks each day. She goes to rehabilitation three times a week and still hopes that she will walk on her own again. Can you imagine how shocking it must have been to be going along in life and then suddenly be confined to a wheelchair!

Since then, the Colorado winters have made it extremely difficult for her to get around and to make her numerous doctors’ appointments and rehabilitation sessions. Finally, this year she is planning to move to Florida where retired sisters can assist her regularly. Susie has decided she needs to sell her house.

Here’s the problem, Susie lives in a 1925 Tudor style home that is in need of multiple repairs. The sidewalk in front of the house is buckling up and has deep holes in it (which makes it difficult to maneuver when Access-a-ride picks her up or drops her off). The driveway is completely breaking apart and as a fix friends have put down a large piece of deteriorating plywood so she can access the wheelchair ramp. Her kitchen sink leaks and she needs some patchwork done on the walls from previous plumbing repairs. The house also needs the entire interior repainted (she had started this project before becoming disabled four years ago). And in order to move she will need to hire a team to move her belongings. She also needs help cleaning and fixing items in the basement which she hasn’t even seen in four years.

I am asking for donations to fix her home and make this move possible for Susie. This would allow her to put her house on the market by September. Susie would never ask anyone to help her, so I am asking knowing she can't do it all on her own. If you can donate please help Susie get out of town before snow blows.

AND WEAR BUG SPRAY!!!

Thank you so much for helping such a dear lady,

Heidi Baldwin-Kirchhoff (Friend and previous co-worker)