update 7/25 shellspyer needs a car..she has alot votes..she has watched others from her state receive a vehicle..now it is her turn..as those closest to me know the events of my life..shellspyer has reached out her heart and hand and has been there for me everyday since..not only for me but several of you here on FCC..she lives in a small town..which does not offer much..this should not prevent her elgibility in receiving a car..she has given to all of us..now its FCC's turn to give back to shellsper...PLEASE FCC she really needs this..I will give up my need for a vehicle, so she can have hers....please find a way to get her a car..thank you!!! UPDATE: Mom is getting worse, her pain is overwhelming, It breaks my heart. Lost my job! losing hope. I am turning everything to god..let him show me the way. I don't know what else to do anymore. Trying to keep my head over water,..I appreciate all my wonderful friends on FCC..such love..such support. as a child, growing up My moms heart would light up a room, put a smile on a sad, teary face, put laughter on a bad day, she was the "mom" of all my friends, My mom is the favorite "aunt", the favorite "sister". So many talents, she just reached in and put a string of lights around your heart. When I was 15 years of age my mom was diagnosed with acromegly, this is a tumor in her pituitary gland, through this, it enlarged her body, distorted her facial features. Was operated on 3 times, as it keeps growing back, and is now wrapped around the biggest vein going from her brain to her heart which is no longer operable. My mom is 63 years old now, aproxiamatly 28 years, since being diagnosed from this as, it took, five years in the 8o's, for Doctors to find it. Since then, this was rare. And treatment plans after the discovery, were not advanced as they are today. My mother has endured the pain of this, having a stroke, heart attack. I went back to Michigan, (where my mother resided) to help out, I was fired from my position of executive chef, because my mom had the heart attack, and her health regressed emensley, my boss, said your "job" or your "mother". Without hesitation, I got in my van headed to Michigan. I moved in my mom's and step dads house, so I could help take care of my mom. I realized my step father was over dosing my mother, abusing, and neglecting her. Would leave her in bed, in her urine all out of it, and take off and be gone for hours. He yelled at her, ignored her, and basically treated her like the ground he walked on, My mother looked up at me, one day and said, Lori, take me out of here, I need to get out of here. I had no idea, what to do at that moment, so I called an attorney, I took her to the attorney, and we drew up a power of attorney. I then preceeded on planning to get her out. However her husband, became extremely worse, So I called the police, Got her out of that environment, went to court and won guardianship of her. My mother, wanted away from her hometown, away from all the people who treated her so badly. So I gathered all my savings, everything I had, and moved my mom back to Kansas City with me, I have been taking care of her, for almost three years, Its been tough finding all the agencies out there, who can help out, my mom is on medicaid, and when your trying to find doctors, and treatments she needs, there is a lot of red tape and leg work to get medicaid to approve it. Then 6 months ago, my moms endrocronologist finally got the test approved, to determine the growth of my moms tumor, and he said 6 months to a year of life left for her. He said her organs would just start shutting down, Hospice is now here, and mom is deterioting. But she still has that, spark in her eye, she still smiles that smile. And still lights up the room when you walk in. My van is rolling on its last set of wheels, the tierods are shot, my abs system is out, need a power steering pump, the engine light is on, It sounds like a flat tire, when you apply the brakes, the van is unsafe, and I have to drive my mother to appointments, in this. I work full time, with the help of respite, and a really great friend who, is willing to care for my mom, while I work, as medicaid only pays for 31 respite hours a week. I struggle every month, my budget is so tight, even with trying to find where a car payment might fit, What do I have to sacrafice, in order to do this? Food? Gas? I do not have money for entertainment, so that is out. Put off a bill, electricity? I have tried and tried to figure out, how I could manage a car payment. I can not find any solution. I need a car thats for sure, Just one that is safe to put my mom in. One that could get me to and from work, so I may continue this journey, to fulfill my moms last wishes, in the time she has left with us.