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Life changed in a instant following crash with drunken driver

Editor's note: The Time is Now to Help was founded by a local businessman who knew extreme poverty as a child. With the help of donations from the community, The Time is Now is able to help local residents in need.

Dear W.C.,

I am a middle-aged woman who’s been disabled for the past 15 years due to a car accident caused by a drunken driver.

The driver was not insured, walked away uninjured, served the minimum sentence and went on with their life.

I feel as though I was served a life sentence of struggling with my disabilities. I understand they are trying to make the drunken-driving laws much more strict.

I, for one pray, they do.

The person who struck me was a repeat offender and driving with a suspended license. They crossed the centerline and hit me head-on.

I am permanently disfigured and live in chronic pain.

My back causes constant pain. They say there is nothing else they can do for me medically.

Even if I could physically withstand the pain, no one would hire me due to the horrible scars on my face. I have gone through several surgeries to repair my nose so I can breathe again.

If I were a weaker person, I would find it hard to go on. I know God gives me the strength to face each day.

The reason I am writing for help is because I have been falling behind in my bills. My disability income does not go far enough. I have no children. My marriage fell apart several years after the accident.

I don’t blame my ex-husband. He did what he could, but the constant strain was too much. We remained friends, but I cannot ask him for any more help, because he lost his job recently. Is there any assistance you could give?

Struggling after accident

Dear readers,

This woman was extremely sensitive about her disfigurement. She rarely left her home due to the stares and comments from people. The only time she went out was for doctor’s appointments.

She still has a hard time talking about her accident: “I was young, healthy and happy when my life came to a screeching halt. I was a beautiful woman, recently married and had a good job. The person who hit my car selfishly chose to drive drunk that day, not caring who they endangered.

I was on my way to meet my husband for dinner when a car swerved right in front of me. The next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital, and the horrible pain has been a part of my life ever since.”

She has been to numerous doctors and surgeons. She has gone through many therapies and surgeries, but none has helped significantly. She lives around therapy and medication schedules. She struggles to keep her disability coverage and receive other assistance. As anyone who receives these knows, it is a constant battle with endless phone calls and paperwork, or they find any reason to discontinue the assistance.

She admits that anger and bitterness are what drove her husband away, not her disfigurement. He has remained a faithful friend, helping her to find her faith and forgiveness. She said this has been a huge weight lifted off her.

She does not belong to a church, because she will not leave her home, but does watch many faith-based shows on television. She also follows what is going on in our government, and spends a lot of time writing letters supporting stronger drunken-driving laws. She is adamant about not wanting this same fate to happen to anyone else.

When we got around to talking about her finances, she admitted she had not kept up. She was behind in her utility bills, because she could not pay her low mortgage payments and utilities.

She did not want to lose her small house, and the payments were so low she would have a hard time renting for that amount. She is thankful she had paid down her mortgage when she was younger.

Her ex-husband had helped her make ends meet for years, but he lost his job due to downsizing. He does her grocery shopping every other week and drives her to doctor’s appointments.

We brought her utilities up to date and paid some for the future. She is cautious about her air-conditioning usage in the summer but admitted to difficulty breathing when it became hot and humid outside.

We also provided her with gas vouchers so her ex-husband could continue to drive her to appointments and pick up food. He was extremely grateful and is looking hard for a new job. We provided her with certificates for household necessities. She admitted to doing without many items we all take for granted on a daily basis.

We could not remove the physical pain this poor woman has endured on a daily basis, but we did alleviate some of the turmoil and fear she feels about her financial situation. Constant worrying about paying bills and having utilities disconnected have a real effect on a person’s physical state.

Together we have eased not only the psychological pain of poverty, but physical pain, too.

Health and happiness, God bless, W.C.

A special thank you to Peck and Weis, Paper Dolls, Michael and Sue Borden, Dick and Jean Honeyager, Martin O’Brien, Albert and Ellen Burnell, Jim and Marilynn Dyer, Margarie Egger, Dan Mehring, Bemis Company Foundation, Drescher Family Charitable Foundation and Bill and Lois McEssy.