Ms. Joseph is diabetic, and proper treatment had not been on her agenda. The willful neglect of her health included the refusal to even meet with a medical professional. Her reasoning was as insightful as it was heart-rending. "It was like a suicide path," she said. "Not actually killing yourself, but killing yourself another way."
For six and a half years, Ms. Joseph, 44, has been mourning the loss of her son, Terrell Bradley, who was fatally shot by a stranger at gunpoint outside his home in July 2007. He was 17.
Soon after Terrell's death, The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund contributed $2,432 to cover his burial costs. His murder remains unsolved.
Ms. Joseph, who has three other children, described the feeling of disequilibrium that colored her life.
"I represent a table, a table that has four legs," she said. "The legs represent my sons. Somebody comes along and kicks the table. It broke the leg. So now there are three, and I'm always trying to adjust the balance of the table."
Amid the burdens of family and her ongoing depression, the task of managing her diabetes fell by the wayside. And since last year, additional complications have surfaced.
In September 2012, Ms. Joseph and her family had to leave their apartment in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, after the landlord's refusal to make necessary building repairs led to the withdrawal of Section 8 money.
In response, Ms. Joseph sought help from Brooklyn Community Services, one of the agencies supported by The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund, and the same agency that had provided the money to pay for Terrell's funeral expenses.
She spoke with a staff member, Lori Tannenbaum, who, after hearing the extent of Ms. Joseph's struggles, implored her to start taking better care of herself.
"I can't believe how fortunate I am that I found her," Ms. Joseph said. "She told me, 'You don't have to allow this to beat you.' "
Eventually, she heeded Ms. Tannenbaum's advice. Ms. Joseph saw a doctor who told her that her blood sugar had reached dangerous levels, and that she was days away from a medical crisis.
A scared-straight Ms. Joseph said that with the help of Brooklyn Community Services' Health Homes program, she has learned to better monitor her illness and that her blood sugar had returned to normal levels.
"Everybody who cares about me is saying that's not the way to go," she said. "Terrell wouldn't want this."
Ms. Joseph's oldest son, William Bradley, underwent a change in May, when he began to exhibit strange behaviors, like excessive tooth brushing and hand washing, and engage in nonsensical conversations with imaginary companions. Ms. Joseph believed it was a result of post-traumatic stress over his brother's death.
"When I first took my children to therapy, they all said there's nothing wrong with us," Ms. Joseph said. "So I didn't really think that six years later, William would have a mental breakdown."
Doctors told William, 25, he had schizophrenia and depression. He is now enrolled in Parachute NYC, a nonprofit initiative that helps young people dealing with psychosis avoid hospitalization. Ms. Joseph said that William was adjusting well to his new circumstances.
Ms. Joseph and her family, who have been living with her twin sister in very tight quarters since the eviction, are still searching for an apartment. Ms. Joseph continues to work at the part-time job she has held for three years, as a housekeeper at the Harbor Motor Inn, where she earns about $125 a week. She also collects $443 in monthly Social Security insurance benefits.
Brooklyn Community Services secured $260 from the Neediest Cases Fund to buy a new bed for William. His was too small to accommodate him. An additional $100 was withdrawn from the fund for Ms. Joseph when her food stamp money was suddenly decreased.
Recently, Ms. Joseph became engaged to her boyfriend of several years, Earl Grant, who, she said, has been an invaluable support. "We have our ups and downs, but he makes me laugh," she said.
Anything that can lighten her heartache is welcome.
The passing of the years brings with it a sadness about the things her son Terrell has been forever denied.
"He would have graduated from high school," Ms. Joseph said. "He'd have probably gone to college, probably got married, made me a grandparent. I miss this kid like crazy."
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
The Neediest Cases: Turning Away From a Path to Suicide
Dengan url
https://dunialuasekali.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-neediest-cases-turning-away-from.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
The Neediest Cases: Turning Away From a Path to Suicide
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
The Neediest Cases: Turning Away From a Path to Suicide
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar