When One Door Closes...

Last February right before the pandemic began, a family from Indiana relocated to NC to build a new life in a place where they had family ties. They bounced from living in motels to staying with extended family for several months while the dad looked for work.

The month prior to arriving, the mom had been in a car accident. Her back was jarred but because she was pregnant, the hospital could not do any imaging to check for internal damage. As it turned out, she had an infection between two vertebrae, and no one knew. During childbirth, an epidural was inserted into her back where the infection was, and it caused partial paralysis in the lower half of her body. She remained in the hospital for nearly 60 days. By the time she was discharged, the family had no choice but to live together in a motel room. They were connected to Families Together by the Wake County Hotels to Housing COVID-19 project on August 22nd.  

The dad’s attempts to work were hindered by unreliable home health aide for his wife and the newborn who could not be left alone. Families Together was able to locate housing with wheelchair accessibility! But devastating news came the day scheduled for the lease signing as the property management company decided not to move forward with the rental. Medical equipment and medical transport for the mom already had been scheduled. The Families Together team refused to give up! The following day, the dad was connected to another property. He fell in love with the area, the unit, and said it was a great fit for his family and he felt it was "home".

As it is said, when one door closes, another opens. The family of four moved into their new home on December 30th. The new place is even better than originally imagined. With therapy, the mom could walk again. The dad is now working full time. Families Together will continue to provide them with support services for up to a year to help ensure their long-term housing success.