Car crash survivor, once homeless, wants to do own laundry. Can you help this Quincy mom?
Editor's note: The following is a profile submitted by Quincy Community Action Programs on behalf of one of its clients. The last name is not being used to protect the family's privacy.
Before a car crash by an at-fault driver changed her life, Amy R. was a hairstylist for 20 years, and her son, Joshua, was a 2-year-old toddler. Now he is 5 and Amy has painful mobility issues and needs a cane to walk.
“From my hips down, everything has hardware,” said the 38-year-old single mother.
She hopes Lend a Hand can provide a washer and dryer. Her building allows for a laundry hookup, but she cannot afford the appliances.
In November, she and her son moved into an apartment in Quincy. Before that they were living in a shelter for two years, where there was always someone to help with laundry.
But now in her new place, a month of dirty clothes is piling up because it is impossible for her to carry heavy loads of laundry. The closest laundromat is 2 miles away, so she relies on others for help.
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Meanwhile, Joshua just began school in Quincy.
“I can’t send my son to school with dirty clothes,” she said. “Kids get messy, there are bed accidents, and it’s so important to keep things clean. Kids have to have clean clothes daily to go to school.”
The journey back to stability has been slow for Amy.
In 2018, a 94-year-old woman driving down the wrong side of the road crashed into Amy’s car and hit her head on. The elderly driver died at the scene. Amy’s car was totaled, and Joshua, then 2½ years old, broke his ribs from the impact of his car seat’s seat belt.
“I was crushed, my hip was fractured, my femur bone was fractured, both knees were torn, my fibula and tibia was shattered, and my ankles were broken in several places,” Amy said.
She needed surgery and hardware to repair her body. Months of hospitalization followed. Amy was bedridden for six months and in a wheelchair for a year. Amy’s mother had to take a leave of absence from her job to care for Joshua.
Recovery came after a long period, but her disability is permanent.
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When her disability income was not enough to cover rent, she and her son became homeless. After living in shelters, she is grateful to Quincy Community Actions Programs for helping her with legal advice, rental assistance, shelter placement, homeless prevention and application assistance. Best of all, QCAP helped her with a stable home through affordable housing.
Joshua loves to play outside and ride his bike. His mom hopes he will make friends at his new school. He has a learning disability that makes focusing and processing difficult, but he is getting help.
Amy faces another surgery for shooting pains from the metal rod in her femur.
“The screws in my hip are loosening. They need to take the whole rod out and replace it with a bigger rod,” she explained.
How does she keep her spirits up?
“I pray ... and try to stay positive daily and to never give up,” Amy said. “My son needs me. I try to be the best parent I can be, and not let my pain hold me back.”
A washer and dryer to keep up with the laundry would bring Amy peace of mind and a measure of independence.
Email Suzette Martinez Standring: suzmar@comcast.net or visit www.readsuzette.com.
About Lend a Hand
Lend a Hand, The Patriot Ledger's annual holiday charitable program, began in 1998 and has raised more than $3.3 million for South Shore families and people in need. Working with three established community service agencies – Quincy Community Action Programs, South Shore Community Action Council and Aspire Health Alliance – Lend a Hand has presented compelling stories of people in need and invited readers to open their hearts and wallets to help.
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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Quincy Community Action Programs works with Lend a Hand to help mom
