Posted on: Friday, December 7, 2001
Advertiser Chistmas Fund
Stroke patient needs friend to get to therapy
By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer
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| Recent Christmas Fund donations
• In memory of Marian and Roz $25 Total $1,960 Total to date: $20,920 |
Forty-six-year-old "K.B." suffered a stroke last December that left him partially paralyzed. His estranged wife, 22-year-old daughter and teenage son have been giving him around-the-clock care for nearly 12 months.
"It just stops everybody's life," said "A.B.," who has been separated since 1989 from her husband of 25 years. "I come here every day at 6:30 a.m. and stay to 1:30 p.m. Our 16-year-old son takes over for a couple of hours when he comes home from school and our older daughter watches him from 6:30 to 8:30 at night. Our son returns at 8:30 and stays with him until I come back in the morning."
A.B. is a certified nurse's assistant and does volunteer work at a hospital with hopes of landing a full-time position. But she has had to cut back on her volunteer work the past year.
"I am fortunate," said K.B., who was employed as a carpenter before the stroke. "All the doctors tell me I can't go back to doing the things I was doing but I keep doing my therapy at home."
K.B. receives disability income of $1,153 a month while his teenage son gets $796. The combined income is enough to live on. They live with A.B.'s mother, who is disabled from cancer, and her two nieces, ages 25 and 18.
What K.B. needs most is a friend who can help take him to the doctor and provide companionship. He will not use transportation services that are available to disabled people because he had a bad experience using the van. After being picked up at 8 a.m. for a 10:30 a.m. therapy appointment, he arrived 15 minutes late and was not allowed to participate in the therapy session, his wife said.
"So I have to take him in a pickup truck and it's very hard getting him in and out," A.B. said.
Anyone interested in providing daily companionship and assistance should call Helping Hands Hawai'i at 843-8473.
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• Thursday, Dec. 6: Shriners patient needs shoes, transportation to appointments
• Wednesday, Dec. 5: Clothing for sons welcome
• Tuesday, Dec. 4: Ex-addict, abused wife reclaims life
• Monday, Dec. 3: Disabled man seeks toy for grandson
• Sunday, Dec. 2: Ailing son left family buried in bills
• Saturday, Dec. 1: Woman says seventh child is chance to be good parent
• Friday, Nov. 30: With its breadwinner laid off, family requests help for first time
• Thursday, Nov. 29: Pacific immigrants struggle to stay here
• Wednesday, Nov. 28: Couple forgo gifts, except for two keiki's
• Tuesday, Nov. 27: Child's grave needs headstone
• Monday, Nov. 26: Security officer, six children have to eat on floor
• Sunday, Nov. 25: Holiday assistance badly needed this year
How to make a donation
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Checks made payable to The Advertiser Christmas Fund should be mailed to
Helping Hands Hawai'i
P.O. Box 19155
Honolulu, HI 96817
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Donations may also be dropped off at any First Hawaiian Bank branch.
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Anyone wishing to donate goods instead of money can do so at the Community Clearinghouse at 2100 N. Nimitz Highway near Pu'uhale Street. For details, call 536-7234.
