SH has been unable to find work that he can safely do in his immune suppressed state after his heart transplant. He and his family are deeply financially challenged, and they all live together in one modest apartment – ten people ages 5 to 65. SH needs to be able to communicate with his medical team and couldn’t afford to replace his cell phone when it broke. He applied for assistance from Axel’s Helping Hand.
“For most of my life, I’ve always tried to see the positive in everything. I would tell myself that everything would be okay, no matter what was happening. As I’ve gotten older, though, I’ve realized that it’s okay to admit when things are hard. My Sunday school teacher once told me, “You must understand sorrow to understand joy.” At the time, I didn’t fully understand what he meant, but after everything I’ve gone through with my health and my transplant, those words finally make sense. I remember sitting down one day and really letting myself think about everything I had been through instead of just pushing it aside. I cried and let out all my emotions I had been holding onto for years. After that, I realized I didn’t want to lose my positive outlook, I wanted to protect it. Even today, one of the hardest parts of protecting that positivity is asking for help when I need it. I’m usually the person who wants to help everyone else, so accepting help has never come naturally to me. Your generosity reminds me that accepting help isn’t a weakness. It’s what allows people to keep moving forward. This phone is going to make a real difference in my life. It will help me stay connected with my transplant team, keep up with appointments and important calls, communicate with school and future employers, and stay in touch with the people who support me. More than that, every time I use it, I’ll remember that there are people who genuinely care and were willing to help me during a difficult time. Once again thank you for approving the phone and for showing me kindness from the very start. I hope that one day I’ll be in a position to pay that kindness forward and help someone else the way you’ve helped me.”
