LIMA — Some chronic health problems are keeping a Lima family from having a Merry Christmas this year.
Kevin, 44, is suffering from kidney and congestive heart failure. His problems began in 2012. His health problems are related to type II diabetes.
“I do dialysis three times a week,” he said. It’s hurting his ability to work full time.
His Social Security disability benefits are going to pay the bills and some groceries, but there’s little left for anything else, let alone Christmas gifts for daughter Cindy, 17, and son Phillip, 10.
Recently, Kevin’s wife, Monica, 35, was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and ankylosing spondylitis. The former causes widespread pain, and the latter results in a spine that isn’t as flexible as it should be. She was diagnosed two years ago but believes she’s had it for at least five years.
Monica recently got out of the hospital for treatments on her back. There is no cure. Eventually her spine will fuse together.
“I’m two days out of my surgery where they went in with needles and numbed the nerves in my lumbar region. The next step is burning them to try to see if that eases some pain,” Monica said.
“Things have gotten tight around here. Kevin has been in and out of the hospital for a while. We almost lost him twice last year. It was very scary,” she said.
The couple continues to struggle with basic things.
“We managed to make $50 or $60 stretch at the grocery store for two weeks, but some help with groceries would be nice,” she said.
“Phillip, his school clothes are too small for him so he needs bigger school clothes and he’s growing out of all of his jeans since last year and so we’re trying to replenish those and it’s hard. We’ve been going to thrift stores for that,” she said.
Phillip could use pants with a 29- to 30-inch waist, shoes size 5 1/2, shirts size 2x kids or small adults.
Cindy wears size 4 jeans, small to medium shirts and size 7 shoes.
“I do hold out hope that on Christmas for me and him it’s all about them being happy opening up the things that they want, but when times are hard and tight, it’s just stressful. We just want them to be happy and we just worry that we are not going to reach that part for them,” she said, choking back tears.
“I think this is the worst we’ve ever been at. We try not to drag them into our adult situations. I feel like hardships are something that they shouldn’t have to know about or understand,” she added.
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