Wish List: Grandma wants beds for grandkids
After living by herself in a one-bedroom apartment in Avondale for the past 25 years, Theresa Faison found herself raising three of her grandchildren on her own.
Then, just before Christmas last year, the children's mother came down with a tooth infection. It spread to her brain and required extensive surgery. It left her in a debilitated state.
"She's never been the same," Faison said. "She can't take care of them."
Faison's granddaughter, Nautica Anderson, 17, came to live with her first. Nautica's brothers, Anthony Anderson, 23, and Cortez Anderson, 18, were soon to follow. They all have developmental disabilities.
"Each one of them had one bookbag. I was starting all over again" Faison said. "I love them. We make each other laugh. All I know is my grandkids needed me, they came to me, and that's when I said, 'OK Lord, you've got me on this journey.'"
Late this summer with her one-bedroom apartment full of people, the 70-year-old woman who had already raised six children of her own discovered that she needed to move. Not only were living conditions cramped, but the new owner of her apartment building was asking residents to leave.
She found a small house to rent in Colerain Township. Her rent doubled. She no longer lived on a bus route.
"My kids say 'Mama, you ain't out of town,'" she joked. "I don't know which way to go. I've always walked and caught the bus, but out here I can't do it. So I'm kind of stuck."
Jamie Rouff, with Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities Services, began working with the family this summer.
"When I started with them, grandma already had so much completed. It was extremely impressive," Rouff said. "She was already looking at getting custody of the kids, she already had them in job programs and she is really making sure that her awesome grandkids are set up for the future."
Right now, the family need beds, mattresses, clothes and a new chest freezer to store food. Readers' donations to the Wish List, sponsored by the United Way of Greater Cincinnati, can help.
Cortez, who has scoliosis, is sleeping on the floor. Faison had air mattresses for all three of her grandchildren, but Cortez's recently began leaking and went flat. Due to the size of the house, bunk beds would be perfect, Faison said.
Faison's own bed is being held up with a brick at one corner.
"I want them to be able to hold their heads up and go to school looking decent. I want this for my grandkids because they've never had that," she said. "I just want them to be all right, happy, healthy, secure. I want them to be able to go and do and learn."
Her grandchildren are attending Colerain High School or participating in work programs. She spends most of her income on rent and utilities, leaving little for basics like clothes.
"I just want my kids to have the necessities that they need," she said. "I always raised someone else's children. I believe it's my calling."
Through it all, Faison said she's happy to have all three of the grandchildren living with her. As hard as it is, she said they're in a better shape now than they were when they lived in Covington.
She said they're growing and learning in their new environment. They go to a nearby library almost every day.
"These grandkids were very closed mouthed, but now, you can't stop them," she said.
"They're not babies thank God, but they're good kids. I have to say I have good grandkids because they help me just like I'm trying to help them," she said. "My boys don't let me lift and push and pull like I used to. My granddaughter helps me wash and keep that kitchen clean. We do our thing together, we're a team."
How to give
The Enquirer proudly promotes the annual Wish List fundraising effort in conjunction with the United Way of Greater Cincinnati. We know how caring and giving our readers are, and the Wish List presents each of you with the opportunity to dig down and find it in your hearts to lend a helping hand.
* To provide support for the family you read about today and for the nonprofit agency that works with that family, just visit this website: www.uwgc.org/wishlist.
* Can't find the dollars to give this time around? No problem, you can give in other ways. For instance, find a nonprofit organization you can assist through volunteering. One place to look is the United Way's Volunteer Connection at this link: http://www.uwgc.org/volunteer/ways-to-volunteer
* Or, simply share this Wish List story on your Facebook or Twitter page to bring it to the attention of more potential helping hands. Doing this will help your own network of family and friends recognize the very real needs in our community -- needs each of us can help address.