Donations for my Father
My father is the single most important person in my life, as are a lot of parents to their children. So why am I putting up a page to gather donations for mine?
Total Debt: $6,000
Total Donated: $256.27
(last updated 06/07/08)
Donators: Bonnie, Katy, Ray, Myk, Rhi, Sam, Daphne, Caryn, Solitary Illusions, Dawn, Bonnie again!, Maria
Background:
My father is 57 years old, he has no pension, he has no retirement, he has no money, and he cannot work. He is on disability which barely pays enough to cover his bills, and I still give him money every month for food, hospital bills, and medication. He has type 2 diabetes, phlebitis in his leg which causes large skin ulcers to form due to bad circulation. He will eventually lose his leg. He had a heart attack in 1984, and recovered 100% from a stroke in 2001. In November 2006, after extensive hyperbaric treatments, the ulcers below on his leg were completely healed. Now we have to pay off the medical debt.
Dads Leg #1
Dads Leg #2
Dads Leg #3
Dads Leg #4
(I will try to get better pictures soon)
My father has been a farmer all his life, and worked concrete for 40 years. To me he is the pinnacle of the blue-collared American who works his life only to end up clinging to the governments leg for support when he’s old and disabled. And this pisses me off.
Most of the blame I put on my mother. When they bought their first house together, my father took out an $80,000 loan to pay for it, not knowing that my mothers parents had “given” the house to her. So my mother and her brother split the $80k between them, while my dad is paying off what he believes to be a loan for the house.
When she left him, she maxed out all his credit cards, made him sell the house, his 1969 road runner, and she got full custody of me, and forced my father to pay $180 a week for child support.
But you know what? My dad paid all that off. He busted his ass working concrete and odd jobs to do what he needed to do to survive.
Back in 1996, my grandmother died, and between the 7 brothers and sisters, they were to sell the $400k farm and split the money between them. My father never got his cut. He was promised it, but his siblings kept the money. He was eventually given a couple thousand, and promised the rest. With that promise, my father bought himself a used 1979 F-150 with a car loan.
He was never given anymore money, and had to pay off the loan himself over many years.
And he’s not bitter about any of it.
So my father is now $6,000 in debt, which isn’t much to most people. But to me and my father, it’s a lot. Eventually the loan company demanded the remaining balance up front, since he couldn’t pay. In order to prevent it being put on his credit history, my father had to join up with a Credit Counseling Service in 2004. Come to find out, he pays $200 a month, for them to pay $15-$20 a month towards his debt, and they pocket the rest. With that type of set-up, it will take my father years to pay off.
I do what I can, but right now all of my money goes towards his doctor bills and prescriptions, as well as paying my own bills. I work full-time, and take odd jobs when I can for extra cash.
What I want to do is pay off my fathers $6k loan. That’s all. It’s not much, and it would free him up to maybe start saving money, or use money to enjoy the things he likes to do while he can. By saving that extra $200 a month. He mows the neighbors lawns and plows their driveways in the winter for a small amount of cash. We also sell farm fresh eggs for $1.25/dozen which brings little profit. My father also gives away free vegetables and does odd jobs for the neighbors to help make ends meet. He’s always around to help when someone needs it.
We’re always going to be poor, I accept that. But my father deserves to enjoy his life as much as possible. I think he’s more than earned it.
Do we get anything out of this?
The only thing I have to offer is what little graphical knowledge I have, and web design, if you don’t want to donate freely. Just email me if you’re interested.
How do we know this isn’t a hoax?
Well, I have no way to prove that either way I guess. I’ve had an online journal since 2001, and I’ve talked about my life on here for 4 years. Some of the people who read this know me in person, a good portion don’t. You’ll just have to make that judgement call.
I am willing to take requested photos, write journal entries answering questions that anyone has about the life of my father, etc.
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