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7 selections of fresh vegetables
6 selections of
fresh fruits
7 varieties of
frozen meats
5 bags of
non-perishables
1 bag of paper
products and personal care items
Gifts from a Secret Pal
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The seniors in our Senior Citizen Project all
must face the daily hardships of failing health and the immense frustration
caused by poverty. For some, the emotional support from family members can
help them to forget about their troubles, if even just for a moment. The joy
that they feel when a grandchild comes to visit, or a child calls them on the
phone just to say hello makes all the pain seem unimportant. Yet, sadly, not
all of our seniors get to experience that feeling.
63-year-old June faces her
struggles without the support of her family.
June was born and raised
on Chicago’s Southeast Side, near Rainbow Beach. She was the middle child of
3 and the only daughter. She married in her mid-twenties and shortly
thereafter gave birth to a son. But after only 7 years, her marriage ended in
divorce. She no longer speaks with her ex-husband, and just recently her son
stopped speaking with her. Up until
recently, June and her son, who is
in his 30s, were living together. She found government-subsidized
housing, however, and because of her financial troubles decided to move. The decision
angered her son, who now refuses to speak with her or give her his phone
number or new address.
Poor health has
long
plagued June’s family. Her father passed from colon cancer
at the age of 65, her mother
succumbed to heart disease at 64, and her younger brother passed from diabetes when
he was only 42. Her older brother has been fortunate enough to remain
healthy and is living in Phoenix. However, June’s relationship with him has
suffered severely since his marriage and move
to Arizona. A few years ago, it was
recommended that June consider moving to a warmer climate to lessen the
severity of her health problems. She asked her brother if she could stay
with him until she found work and a place to live. He told her “No.” June
has since asked both her brother and son for assistance, but, for reasons
that she said she does not understand, neither have been willing to help her.
Fortunately, June has
kept in touch with a half-dozen friends with whom she attended high school.
One, a very dear friend, lives in Deerfield, and the two speak regularly and
try to visit with each other when health and weather permit. A few times
each year, the group of 7 women will meet to celebrate each of their birthdays.
It seems that June
inherited her mother’s heart problems. She suffers from 3 serious heart
conditions: severe angina, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery
disease. She also struggles with peripheral artery disease in her legs, type
1 diabetes, arthritis in her spine (which cannot be operated on because of
her heart conditions), a degenerative disc in her neck, and lung problems.
When the weather drops below 30 degrees, the blood vessels in June’s lungs
contract, causing shortness of breath, chest pains, and arm pains. She said
this year was “a real bad winter.” When her lungs and heart are affected by
the weather, in turn so is her diabetes, which made for many difficult days
over the past months. Every morning June must take 18 different medications
and 3 times each day she gives herself insulin shots.
June keeps the company of
a white dwarf hamster that she appropriately named "Tiny". He likes to sit
on her lap, sleep in her hand, and run across the floor inside a plastic
ball. June says that it wasn’t always that way, however. For the first few months, Tiny
was very aggressive toward her, so June decided to have a heart-to-heart talk
with him and told him that she was going to set him free. The next morning,
Tiny greeted her enthusiastically, and has been nothing but affectionate
since! Often, he will stay with her while she watches Animal Planet or reads
mystery novels.
June has a monthly income
of $1,083. She spends $222 on rent, $453 on her car and car insurance, and
$440 on medications. Most of her diabetic supplies are not covered by her
insurance, so she must find a way to cover those expenses each month. Before
she was referred to HSP, June struggled every month to find a way to
purchase groceries and household supplies which she said total $250. She
said that the items she receives are “wonderful” and that she is very
grateful for the service. We are happy to have June in the HSP family and we
are confident that, together, we can help her get through these difficult
times in her life!
Things to Remember About June:
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Born July 31, 1944.
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Monthly income is $1,083.
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Her favorite color is yellow.
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Her favorite flowers are carnations.
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