Ziachild007 Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 I have decided to take on probably what is the biggest project of my life recently. As a lot of you know, I have an older sister that is now in a persistant vegatative state due to an accident 8 years ago. For those of you that do not know the whole story, she was hit by a car while riding a bicycle and spent a few years in a coma. She now can not do much except sit in her bed or wheelchair. She can breathe on her own, but has to be fed via a feeding tube. She still has some communication through smiles, moans, and eye movement but even that isn't constant. My mom, who is an absolute angel, just like my sister Monica was, had to quit her job in order to take care of her. There was a lawsuit against the sixteen year old girl that hit her, but the only assets she had was a trust fund that her dad had left her which could not be taken for some legal reasons. So with the girl giving no financial support and my mom not being able to pay for the nursing home care (she is only 34 now) that she required, there was no other choice but to bring her home. Needless to say, these events changed not only Monica's life, but also totally threw my moms life totally upside down. My mom has never lived a lavish lifestyle, but of course with her not working she had to scale things back. She was able to get a small salary for being my sisters caregiver during the days. Given the circumstances, she (along with my stepdad) had for the most part managed to keep their heads above water financially. Unfortunately, the bad luck continued as he lost his job a few months ago due to health problems that kept him from being able to perform his job duties. He was able to get unemployment, but not much. Depsite all the hardships they have gone through, my mom continues to look at the positives in life and is thankful that we still have Monica around, even if it is not the way we have known her for the majority of oour lives. They both re awesome women and probably my two biggest inspirations in life. So, I have recently decided that I need to take the goodness that they have always displayed and try my best to give some of that back to them. My problem is.........I am not sure where and how to get started. What I would like to do is somehow help them get a new home that fits my sisters needs and is not always requiring constant repairs. For the past 27 years my mom has lived in a singlewide mobile home that her and my dad purchased in 1981 when they were still married. Its the place me and all four of my sisters called home while we were growing up. There are many great memories in that home and it was always a roof over our head even when other things weren't so great. But as you can probably imagine, it has started to show serious signs of wear over the past few years. Unfortunately, this last storm we had caused more ceiling leaks to pop up too. There are some wire shorts in the house that an electrician said would probably require a lot of new wiring that wouldn't be justified given the age of the house. Parts of the floor are starting to buckle real bad in certain spots. I know it is no where near as bad as some people have it, but still is not the kind of house I want to see my mom and sister living in, especially since it is barely big enough to wheel my sister around in. So........now I just have to figure out how exactly I am going to do this. I would love to just go down and buy them a new house straight out of my pocket, but realistically that is just not an option I have financially. I have thought of maybe some type of fundraiser, not only on a local level but also possibly an a bigger scale as well. I know some larger companies will sometime make donations, since they can use them as tax rightoffs. I have also considered looking into different foundations that specialize in cases like theirs, but I don't really know what all is out there. I AM going to make this happen, I just dont know how yet. I know there are some great people here at the huddle with some great ideas and different areas of expertise. So I am asking for any suggestions, ideas, or whatever that anyone might think of to help me make this possible. If anyone wants to privately contact me you can reach me via PM, IM (ziachild - AIM or yahoo), or email (ziachild07 AT hotmail.com). I appreciate your prayers, good thoughts, and well wishes and look forward to your responses. --Billy "Zia" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoJoTheWebToedBoy Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 Prayers and good vibes sent...... You get something setup, let me know where to send the check.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darin3 Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 Z - all I can offer right now are my thoughts/prayers to you and your family... but I'll rack my brain in the next few days to see if I can think of something more constructive and helpful ... seeing that we live close, have shared :brew:s, and I certainly consider you a friend "off the boards". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big John Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 Not sure where to start, but good luck and good for you for doing this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cre8tiff Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 (edited) Sounds like a job for Extreme Makeover --- Home Edition. Would be a heckuva challenge for them, as I don't think they have EVER taken on a trailer. I think you might have a real shot. Do you have a video camera? Let us know how we can help. Edited September 16, 2008 by cre8tiff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clubfoothead Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 When it storms out that way I always worry about your sister. Needless to say, I'm thrilled to hear they all made it through the storm. I'm not an idea guy but I've got tools and a van that can get me there in a moment's notice. I don't have any time off from work since I've missed two months this year with my daughter's heart problems but I can be there by 5:00 am Saturday. I wasn an IC electrician in the Navy and have done plenty of repairs on mobile homes. I'll rack my brain all day and if you want, I can meet you at their house Saturday morning and we can fix the place up while you try and figure out the next step. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skippy Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 Man I wish I had some input. I think this is just one of those things that has to get out there in the media for some big company or something to take them under their wing. I am sure these things happen all the time. Maybe the hospital that took care of you sister would know of some contacts that would be interested in helping. Someone has got to come along and have some good info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T_bone65 Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 Sounds like a job for Extreme Makeover --- Home Edition. Would be a heckuva challenge for them, as I don't think they have EVER taken on a trailer. I think you might have a real shot. Do you have a video camera? Let us know how we can help. This sounds like an excellent idea, maybe Taz could help since he is in the biz. Send him a PM zia and see what all he thinks as far as Extreme Makeover goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T_bone65 Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 When it storms out that way I always worry about your sister. Needless to say, I'm thrilled to hear they all made it through the storm. I'm not an idea guy but I've got tools and a van that can get me there in a moment's notice. I don't have any time off from work since I've missed two months this year with my daughter's heart problems but I can be there by 5:00 am Saturday. I wasn an IC electrician in the Navy and have done plenty of repairs on mobile homes. I'll rack my brain all day and if you want, I can meet you at their house Saturday morning and we can fix the place up while you try and figure out the next step. This is what the huddle is truly about Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Cid Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 Zia, Question: what kind of time frame are you looking at? I know you'd like it to be tomorrow, but what's a real number? 3 months, 6 months, a year? You say you can't afford a new home, but how about a fixer-upper? A stick house, not a trailer. I'm sure that amongst the crew here we could come up with resources and expertise to put it back into shape in a short time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziachild007 Posted September 16, 2008 Author Share Posted September 16, 2008 Prayers and good vibes sent...... You get something setup, let me know where to send the check.... Z - all I can offer right now are my thoughts/prayers to you and your family... but I'll rack my brain in the next few days to see if I can think of something more constructive and helpful ... seeing that we live close, have shared :brew:s, and I certainly consider you a friend "off the boards". Not sure where to start, but good luck and good for you for doing this. Man I wish I had some input. I think this is just one of those things that has to get out there in the media for some big company or something to take them under their wing. I am sure these things happen all the time. Maybe the hospital that took care of you sister would know of some contacts that would be interested in helping. Someone has got to come along and have some good info. Thanks for the good thoughts, friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziachild007 Posted September 16, 2008 Author Share Posted September 16, 2008 Sounds like a job for Extreme Makeover --- Home Edition. Would be a heckuva challenge for them, as I don't think they have EVER taken on a trailer. I think you might have a real shot. Do you have a video camera? Let us know how we can help. This sounds like an excellent idea, maybe Taz could help since he is in the biz. Send him a PM zia and see what all he thinks as far as Extreme Makeover goes. To be honest, my younger sister who is helping me with this has downloaded the online application and is working on that part of it now. Since I live close to my mom, I am going to try and get the necessary photos and videos this week, hopefully tonight if possible. Only thing I am not sure about, like Cre8tiff said, I am not sure if or how they would handle a mobile home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cre8tiff Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 To be honest, my younger sister who is helping me with this has downloaded the online application and is working on that part of it now. Since I live close to my mom, I am going to try and get the necessary photos and videos this week, hopefully tonight if possible. Only thing I am not sure about, like Cre8tiff said, I am not sure if or how they would handle a mobile home. I think that is an asset, not a liability. The things that drive ratings for them is the "Oh my god, how did they do that?" factor. GOing from a mobile home to an actual house would be a great ratings move. And your story is extremely compelling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hat Trick Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 (edited) Zia, I didn't know about your situation, but you obviously have a wonderful and caring family. Anything I can do to help I would love to help. If you take on a project such as Kid Cid mentioned give me a holler and I'll see what I can do, would love to be able to help you all out! Prayers sent! Edited September 16, 2008 by Hat Trick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hat Trick Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 I think that is an asset, not a liability. The things that drive ratings for them is the "Oh my god, how did they do that?" factor. GOing from a mobile home to an actual house would be a great ratings move. And your story is extremely compelling. +1,000,000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziachild007 Posted September 16, 2008 Author Share Posted September 16, 2008 When it storms out that way I always worry about your sister. Needless to say, I'm thrilled to hear they all made it through the storm. I'm not an idea guy but I've got tools and a van that can get me there in a moment's notice. I don't have any time off from work since I've missed two months this year with my daughter's heart problems but I can be there by 5:00 am Saturday. I wasn an IC electrician in the Navy and have done plenty of repairs on mobile homes. I'll rack my brain all day and if you want, I can meet you at their house Saturday morning and we can fix the place up while you try and figure out the next step. You know I have told you before buddy, but you are tops in my book no matter what. Zia, Question: what kind of time frame are you looking at? I know you'd like it to be tomorrow, but what's a real number? 3 months, 6 months, a year? You say you can't afford a new home, but how about a fixer-upper? A stick house, not a trailer. I'm sure that amongst the crew here we could come up with resources and expertise to put it back into shape in a short time. Gee Kid..........not really sure. I know it is not going to be an overnight type of thing, so I guess I am realistically looking at whatever timeframe it may take. If it takes a year or two to get it done then thats what it will have to be. I do know this........this is one thing both my younger sister and I are going to do regardless of time and effort. We both know its something we need to do, so are willing to go the distance with it. As far as the fixer upper........guess I would have to look into what is available and go from there. One thing that does sort of hold me back as far as that goes is location. Due to their situation, if not on her own land that she has now, I would like to be able to keep them close distance wise in case we are needed. This is what the huddle is truly about Yes Tbone it is. Thats why I came here first. Great people with big hearts and ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azazello1313 Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 you might also consider applying on their behalf to habitat for humanity good luck with all of this, zia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatman Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 All the best to you and your family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziachild007 Posted September 16, 2008 Author Share Posted September 16, 2008 you might also consider applying on their behalf to habitat for humanity good luck with all of this, zia Looked at their website this morning and I am going by there at lunch today to get an application and get a little more info on the requirements. They are one of those NPOs that I have heard about, but dont know all the details of how it works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muck Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 There are GOBs of properties that banks are taking back via foreclosure, etc ... you may be able to get a HUGH deal on a house via a bankruptcy. Go to local banks, plead your case, and ask them to give you any leads on any foreclosures that are close to your home. They may be able to give you a sweetheart mortgage, too, since you're taking a bad loan and making it good. If you go down this path, and want some ideas on negotiating with the bank, drop me a note. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randall Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 Not sure where to start, but good luck and good for you for doing this. I agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T_bone65 Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 (edited) Looked at their website this morning and I am going by there at lunch today to get an application and get a little more info on the requirements. They are one of those NPOs that I have heard about, but dont know all the details of how it works. I have a very good friend that holds a HUGH bike ride for HFH in Gettysburgh PA. I can check with them if you'd like Billy. They had Bruce Springsteen for entertainment this year, wish I could of made that trip. Edited September 16, 2008 by T_bone65 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polksalet Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 There are GOBs of properties that banks are taking back via foreclosure, etc ... you may be able to get a HUGH deal on a house via a bankruptcy. Go to local banks, plead your case, and ask them to give you any leads on any foreclosures that are close to your home. They may be able to give you a sweetheart mortgage, too, since you're taking a bad loan and making it good. If you go down this path, and want some ideas on negotiating with the bank, drop me a note. Foreclosures do not happen there, much. Gregg County might have the greatest economy in the entire country right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polksalet Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 Tell me about your stepdad's health issue and how bad it is. There is a high likelihood I can hook him up with a pimp job. Also are you aware of the letourneau foundation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziachild007 Posted September 16, 2008 Author Share Posted September 16, 2008 I have a very good friend that holds a HUGH bike ride for HFH in Gettysburgh PA. I can check with them if you'd like Billy. They had Bruce Springsteen for entertainment this year, wish I could of made that trip. Sure, every lead helps. Foreclosures do not happen there, much. Gregg County might have the greatest economy in the entire country right now. Yeah, things are still good around this area for the most part. Tell me about your stepdad's health issue and how bad it is. There is a high likelihood I can hook him up with a pimp job. Also are you aware of the letourneau foundation? 4 heart surgeries, degenerative bone disease, and back problems (he had a level 2 fusion) Dont think I have heard of the Letourneau Foundation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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