Michelle & Raymond

Transportation is a major challenge for Michelle, particularly when it comes to medical appointments. Her neurologist is in San Marcos, and she lives in Santee, meaning the round trip can be long, especially depending on the time of day. Michelle is a recluse and the extended time spent in a car causes her significant stress and trauma. To make the journey more manageable, I’ve found that offering a small treat helps. I tell her we’ll stop at her favorite donut shop along the way, where she can pick up a couple of donuts and a coffee. This small incentive helps calm her and makes the trip more bearable.

However, even with this distraction, Michelle still becomes overwhelmed during the drive, especially towards the end. As we approach the last 10 minutes of the trip, she repeatedly asks, "Aren't we there yet?" or "How come we’re not there?" This shows how much stress she feels being in the vehicle for that extended period. Michelle’s anxiety is a major barrier to her getting the necessary care, and her need for more comfortable, less stressful transportation is critical. A reliable vehicle or transportation assistance would significantly reduce the emotional toll these trips take on her.

What helps the most is getting home to their beloved "Fuzzy Kitty" who is an absolute family member.  Michelle shares every moment of her life with Fuzzy.  When she gets up to go to the other room she let's Fuzzy know she will be right back with a cold drink of water for herself and she also brings Fuzzy a fresh bowl of cold water.  Fuzzy has 7 bowls of food and water so no matter what room he is in, there is fresh food and water. She changes Fuzzy's kitty litter several times per day so he always has clean litter and she vacuums the kitty litter that get's thrown on the carpet.  Raymond and Michelle both deeply love this 4 year old feline family member beyond what words can ever possibly say.  Cat food, cat treats and cat toys would be a wonderful addition to the home.

Raymond and Michelle face significant challenges when it comes to food expenses. While they do receive some food donations from their church and the government once a month, their limited income of $32,000 a year makes it difficult to cover all their needs. This budget forces them to live on about $4 a day for food, which requires them to be incredibly resourceful. Michelle, for example, often buys a candy cane to satisfy her sweet cravings for the day, and the couple's splurge on a Diet Coke is a rare treat. They both love the drink, but it's a luxury they can afford only occasionally, despite their desire to have it more frequently. Michelle's ideal choice would be a fountain Diet Coke with ice, but even that remains an infrequent indulgence.

Michelle also faces dietary restrictions due to having very few teeth, which limits her food options to soft foods. She enjoys oatmeal, rice, shakes, graham crackers, and milk, while apples are a distant wish, leaving her to settle for applesauce. She sometimes feels sad that she can't enjoy whole foods like others, but she makes do with what she can. Raymond, on the other hand, enjoys coffee with powdered creamer, but only drinks Folgers coffee, which they brew at home to save money. Michelle also drinks coffee, but often at night, which affects her sleep without her fully understanding the impact of caffeine. Her unique thought processes sometimes lead her to surprising conclusions, like craving milk for calcium or orange juice for vitamin C, even if the reasoning might be disconnected from her needs.

Food, while an essential part of their lives, remains a significant source of stress for Raymond and Michelle. Their limited budget means that even basic nutrition is a challenge, and they often have to make difficult choices to ensure they have enough to eat. Donations would help them afford the foods and beverages they need to maintain their health and comfort, while also allowing them to enjoy some of the simple pleasures they currently have to forgo.

Raymond and Michelle have many pressing needs that significantly impact their daily lives. They both require shoes fashioned with Velcro and mobility aids, including a walker and a cane, to assist Raymond with walking. In addition, they are in desperate need of basic clothing and essentials such as shoes, socks, pants, and shirts. Due to incontinence issues, they also urgently need new sheets, pillows, a couch, kitchen chairs, as well as underwear—both of them have specific preferences, such as preferring cotton over nylon and insisting on white underwear, though they often have very little. This is compounded by Michelle's severe germ phobia, which means that she changes clothes multiple times a day and even throws clothes away if they become soiled.  They also need towels, bath rug, shampoo, kitchen utensils, pots and pans, cups, glasses, dish soap, scrubbers, mop system, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, paper towels, repairman for repair for broken drawers, toilet and droopy blinds.

The amount of laundry they do is overwhelming, with two to three loads every day. This is made even more challenging by Michelle's obsession with cleanliness, where even the slightest stain or perceived contamination will prompt her to change her clothes and dispose of them. Their need for basic clothing and hygiene essentials is vital to maintaining their dignity and well-being.

Both also need proper winter clothing. Michelle, who is underweight and often feels cold, wears long underwear even during the summer to stay warm, while Raymond is the opposite and tends to overheat. They both sleep in a queen-sized bed, which can be challenging for both, especially with the temperature differences. Meeting their basic needs for clothing, mobility aids, and hygiene products would drastically improve their quality of life and offer them some relief from their daily struggles.