Displaced from Home

Sonja is a friend of mine whose friendship has spanned over 30 years. I couldn’t image a better cohort for the rollercoaster of life. She’s funny, kind, sassy and a whole lot bad assy. She’d give you the shirt off her back…. and has. She’s had quite a few curveballs thrown at her over the years, but never did it occur to her to feel sorry for herself, to give up or to let it keep her down, all while inspiring others to do and be better along the way.

9 years ago when her daughter left for college and facing the reality that her marriage was not going to be part of the next chapter she once again started over with courage, grace and a strength unimaginable. While she was keeping one foot in front of the other, she met Ron. If you know Ron, you know he is an absolute gift. Another soul that has endured things that most people would just lay down and give up. Not Ron, it made him more determined. He is a hard worker, a giver. A man who lives life to the fullest and makes things happen. This match made in heaven along with their 2 dogs, Chuy and Teddy, were enjoying life, their home, their friends and family. Living life to the fullest. While together they are a powerhouse of positivity and motivation, one can handle only so much alone. Here comes that curveball!

Sonja and Ron had a full on fiberglass infestation to their home at the end of July.

If you are not familiar with such a nightmare, it is a process where a professional team must treat the home and you are displaced. Those days for them was spent in the grueling process of removing shards of fiberglass from their skin including ER visits for breathing treatments, if it gets into your lungs, it can affect your breathing. It was especially scary since Ron’s son has a history of childhood asthma. He is currently still taking medication that was prescribed in the ER. The cough is unimaginably painful. This was also time spent for them to try and get a handle on the fact that they had lost just about all of their lifelong possessions, from big things to the little things one takes for granted…. Clothes, shoes, towels, even your toothbrush. They can’t even comprehend the sentimental things that there is no replacing. Your child’s first baby blanket, mom’s old quilt, even pictures are an unknown at the moment. Very little is salvageable after such an event.

The happiness of returning home and putting this behind them was short lived. Unfortunately, the job done was subpar, the team must come back. Worse yet, they are re-infested. What little they had managed to replace must now be disposed of and they are again displaced contending with the painful removal of fiberglass from their skin. As if that wasn’t enough, COVID chose now to rear its unwelcome head. Yep – they tested positive.

32 days (and counting) of displacement and the cost associated with hotel/Airbnb and meals, recovering from COVID, physically healing, not only for them, but Ron’s mom who had just come to visit for the first time in 4years from the Philippines, Chuy and Teddy. This is in addition to the milestone of bringing his son to his freshman year of college and on the heels of Sonja still not 100% recovered from her falls and surgical repair of her double fractures last year.

Surely, the worst is behind them. Time to put their lives back in order. Not quite yet, it seems this “professional” company is not so professional. In what can only be described as unfathomable, not only is the job still not done correctly, the company has not been timely in returning their phone calls and attempting to bill for the 2nd round.

More than a month after this nightmare began, not only is there still no resolution, they now must contend with finding and trusting another company to do the work again and the cost associated with that, in addition to their daily financial responsibilities. They are also looking at an unknown amount of time in temporary housing as their home remains uninhabitable.

With life and the future on hold, savings just about depleted and no end in sight it is a scary time. Please consider helping Sonja and Ron by giving them a second to breathe and get their lives back on track. If you are able to contribute anything I know it would be beyond appreciated and a relief. If you are not able to contribute financially, please know a share and a prayer is appreciated just as much.