Ever feel like your whole life is underwater?
I've felt that way all too often. And too many other Kossacks know all too well what that feeling is like.
But what happens when you're underwater not just figuratively, but also literally? When plumbing problems flood rooms in your home, and financial problems swamp your ability to fix them?
That's how life has been for almost a month now for Kossack ramara. I know a little bit about unpleasant living situations. This is not merely unpleasant: It has the potential to endanger her health. And it really won't take a whole lot to fix it - but even the current estimate of $500 is out of reach for her right now.
I'd like to change that.
First, a little background from ramara herself on what happened:
On August 17th I had someone in to fix my toilet tank, since a couple of parts had broken. Turning the water off was very difficult, and while turning it back on, the fitting broke and the bathroom flooded. For a while both bathrooms (which share a wall) were flooded. The rest of the week-end was spent sopping up water and buying fittings. The flooding and/or leaking didn't stop until Monday evening, when a neighbor came in, took out the sink from the hall bath (which was some kind of particle board and had absorbed too much water to recover).
Her insurance policy included a $500 deductible, which meant that she'd have to pay the first $500 out of pocket regardless. Not unusual, but not especially helpful when you don't have $500 to begin with, but you do have broken plumbing and standing water in multiple rooms. However, the company's adjuster ultimately decided that everything related to the damage was the result of "ongoing problems," and that her insurance "coverage" therefore actually
covered nothing.
Nothing.
All those years of premiums? Pfft.
That means that ramara will have to cover all expenses out of pocket.
The adjuster took forever to come out and inspect the damage, which was so severe that ramara couldn't wait. She had to call a restoration services company to salvage her bathroom, hallway, and the other affected areas of her home. Initially, that company quoted her a price of $1,500 - even farther out of reach, but the insurer normally would have paid 2/3 of that. Of course, we now know that that won't happen.
But here, ramara caught a small break. Because she was initially referred to the restoration services firm by the insurance company, they have agreed to settle her balance for the amount of her deductible: $500. [Now, what that says about the true cost of their services, and/or whether firms in such instances write off the extra grand or try to recoup it in other ways, I leave to others to contemplate.]
Ultimately, though, ramara's still right back where she started: In need of $500 for repairs. In her little-noticed diary a couple days ago, a few folks indicated that they were kicking in a few bucks to help out. Unfortunately, it was nowhere near enough.
I think we can solve this, fairly easily.
But I think a lot of Kossacks probably really don't know ramara. And so first, I want to tell you a little bit about my friend.
Oh, where to begin? This is a complex and multifaceted woman with a huge heart. She's a poet and musician. She's owned by a woozle, which, in my book, automatically awards her extra points. She's a long-time political and social justice activist. Here at Daily Kos, she's the founder of the D'var Torah diary series, and dedicated interfaith activist both here and in the wider world. She is a cancer survivor, twice over.
But nothing showed me more clearly how this incredibly strong, great-hearted woman lives her principles than reading about her son.
You see, ramara did what most of us haven't the strength, or the courage, or the ability, or the psychic and spiritual wherewithal to do: She adopted a child who needed her desperately, but one who cannot give back in kind in the way most people expect of their children. More than two decades ago, she adopted a child with fetal alcohol syndrome.
Her son was seven when he came to live with her. Next month, he will be 28 - which means that for three-quarters of his life, ramara has been his mother, and his anchor, and his rock. Now, FAS is not the only challenge this young man faces: He battles a mood disorder and other symptoms that have been diagnosed as a form of psychosis. When his biochemistry is not functioning properly, he can turn violent - and has. Because of this, he can no longer live with her, and sometimes, she goes for months without knowing where or how - or even if - he is: in a treatment center, in a mental health facility, in jail, on the streets.
But she is his mother, and she loves him - and she knows that while people are sometimes partially broken by others in ways that we cannot mend, she still does what she can to fix what is fixable.
I'm in awe of what she's accomplished in her life.
They say that virtue is its own reward, and if that's true, then I suppose that's a good thing, because I also know that choosing to help others in this way virtually never has any other reward. It sure as hell ain't profitable - just the opposite. And financially, life has not been especially kind to ramara, particularly in recent years. A lot of us can say that, but a lot of us haven't taken the harder path that she has.
And in the face of all of this, with her own disabling health issues and her own financial worries, she still manages to reach out to those in need. I know this, because she did it for us when we were on the brink. And I know what that little gift meant for her, and it broke my heart.
So now, I want this community to meet this woman, to see her and know her and acknowledge who she is and what she does - and to let her know that we have her back.
I've just learned that the deductible was actually $1,000, not that it makes a difference from the standpoint of coverage for this disaster. I also know that she's going to have a lot of replacement costs: Toilet, sink, wallboard, and carpeting, just to list the most obvious. The mold removal and rehab will likely be expensive - and it has to be done right. Mold is toxic; it carries serious health risks for anyone, but especially so for a cancer survivor.
Wings and I kicked in $20 the other night. I wish it were more, but the gallery has had the worst summer it's had in years. So I did a little quick math. If 100 Kossacks each give $20, that's $2,000. It would cover the immediate bill to the restoration services firm, probably cover most replacement costs, and maybe even the mold removal - and possibly a little cushion to help alleviate the stress of her situation.
Twenty dollars. That's lunch out for two. Two movie tickets. A couple six-packs of beer. Four lattes at a schmancy cafe. A few packs of cigarettes.
Out of more than half a million registered users, surely we've got a hundred people here who can give that up for a week, right?
And, of course, every dollar counts. Doesn't have to be $20 - each one adds up. And for those who can give more - well, life often fails to reward those who do the most for others. Hell, it doesn't even acknowledge their existence. So sometimes, I think it's worthwhile just to shoot a few bucks to someone like ramara, just to say, "Hey! I see you. I see what you do. And it's valuable. You're valuable."
If you agree, please consider sending a little ramara's way via PayPal, at rmaraport at yahoo dot com.