A Mom’s Difficult Decision

(3 Minute Read)
By Meghan Kellington & Rebecca Thuro

Jennifer has a lot of people depending on her. She is a single parent who deeply loves her three daughters – ages 13, 10, and 7. She is also tirelessly caring for her elderly mother who has been battling illness. Jennifer has been unable to work due to a disability and depends solely on the disability income to provide for her family. To make ends meet, Jennifer has been accessing food at the Food Bank.

 

Stress levels took a turn for the worst when Jennifer’s oldest daughter Kaylee, who struggles with asthma, started having extreme difficulty breathing. Jennifer rushed Kaylee to the hospital. Upon arrival Kaylee was immediately admitted to care. For four days Kaylee needed to be supplied oxygen for every single breath. Jennifer feared for the worst. Was this the dreadful new virus?

 

Kaylee required an air purifier at home to improve her breathing.

 

The doctors told Jennifer that Kaylee had pneumonia, and because of her asthma, the symptoms were more severe than the average person. At the end of her stay at the hospital, the doctors told Jennifer that Kaylee required an air purifier at home to improve her breathing. Knowing that the cost of an air purifier was completely out of reach, Jennifer was heartbroken. Her bank account was empty, and she had just maxed out her credit card to fix her broken washing machine. This is the hard reality for many living on a fixed income, necessities can become very difficult decisions.

 

An air purifier was completely out of reach, Jennifer was heartbroken.

 

Suddenly, she remembered Meghan at the Food Bank. They had gotten to know each other when her kids participated in the Summer Starfish Pack program over the summer. With nothing to lose, she reached out to Meghan hoping for some ideas on where to find an air purifier.

 

Meghan’s heart immediately went out to Jennifer and hoped she’d be able to help as sometimes the Food Bank receives non-food related donations that are stored at the food bank’s warehouse until needed. Up until this point Meghan had never seen or heard of air purifiers being donated, but she would double check and get back to her.

 

The next day, Jennifer received a text message from Meghan that she didn’t expect. “Good Morning Jennifer! WE HAVE AN AIR PURIFIER! It’s in my office right now!”

“WE HAVE AN AIR PURIFIER! It’s in my office right now!”

Jennifer couldn’t believe it. She told Meghan that she had just been crying to her mom about not knowing how she was going to get Kaylee the support that she needed. Jennifer said “This was a miracle!” Meghan joyfully agreed with Jennifer, it really was a miracle. The chances of receiving an answer right when Jennifer needed one were so slim. But this time there was a brand-new air purifier still in its original box at the warehouse ready to go, with a driver available to drop it off to the office right away.

 

Jennifer came by that same day and picked up the air purifier from the Food Bank and was able to get it set up right away for Kaylee. Since bringing it home, Jennifer has told us it has made a great improvement for Kaylee’s breathing.

 

Sometimes one donation can make the world of a difference at the exact right time. Our goal at Archway Food Bank, is to be more than just a place to access food. Each donation we receive, we use to serve our neighbours in whatever way we are able. When you support Archway Food Bank, you play a part in the story of making a way, even when there doesn’t seem to be a way. For Jennifer and her family that was providing an air purifier when it was needed most.

*Please note that the names have been changed to protect our guests identity.