By Julie Durham
Abbi Durham is a wonderful person. Abbi has survived 25 years of a life riddled with several challenges. First her birth as I was told was very dramatic, for she was a blue baby. Her mother almost lost her life, they both survived. Abbi has had cerebral palsy since birth. Her parents struggled and helped her to survive in this new world of medical care. At six weeks old Abbi had a stoma and g-tube put into her stomach for her meals to be given to her through. The expectations of her life were short and hard.
Abbi had some real fight in her and love was all around her. Abbi has lived 19 years past the last end of life expectations. She is very loved and has great moral support in her life.
I (Julie) met her just over 9 years ago. Her Father and I with Abbi became a family over time. We had three great years together as a family. Four and a half months before her father passed away he married me. We had already due to Abbi’s age become her legal guardians together. Her father had cancer and fought the battle well to the end. Leaving me to the care of Abbi. As Abbi’s soul guardian.
Abbi and her father had a very good relationship. He never thought she would outlive him. He had always treated her as his baby girl. He was very wrapped around her finger. Then we all met and I observed them for about a year as building our relationship. After a time I began having time with Abbi on our own. I saw her as a very smart nonverbal teenager. Yet in her own very vocal way she could control the people around her. Talented she is!
I have taken this care giving to heart for six years. Abbi has learned as I have learn how to work together at all tasks involved in her care. Our deal is I will help you, if you help me to get this done. We like to work together as a team.
Our road trip history is long. We are on our second vehicle to transport Abbi in. The first one Abbi had when we met. Wear and tear on it lasted until 2015 March when the floor board broke thru. We started a gofundme account and by June we had $4,000.00. Abbi’s family was having a reunion early July that year. We did not plan to attend due to no van yet. Her uncle found one in Texas and we sent him the $3,500 needed to get that van. This van is running. We just got the second new engine great warranty, put in last month. Cooling system last year along with battery, air conditioning, water pump, alternator, some sensor's, and a heater core. Seems like we should be OK for a couple of years. Giving us time to complete this task of earning or raising the funds needed to get Abbi a van to travel in. All her family lives in other states, she likes to visit them and I like to help her do anything she wants to do. I have always believed that it takes a village to do things that one person cannot do all alone.
Goals
- Raise or better yet earn fifty thousand dollars by October 31st of 2020 or earlier.
- To purchase a new wheelchair accessible van/vehicle for Abbi and I to travel in the USA. Van will also be used to get to Dr. Visits, shopping trips, and any place Abbi needs to go.
Our income
Abbi gets SSSI which is survivers social security income due to the diagnosis and loss of her father.
I do not have an income from wages. Not able to work due to lack of caregivers to take care of Abbi. When I last worked was 2013 June, I worked fulltime as a caregiver for mentally and or physically disabled in their own home. When Abbi Graduated from school the nursing service could not cover my working hours. Can not get widow social security until I turn 60 years of age which is next year. My current job is to make sure Abbi is taken care of as a person with respect. To achieve this I have to take care of myself, to be able to care her for as long as possible. I have down sized in all aspects of my spending. Home and ten acres is paid off so I own them. My current personal cost of living budget is less than $200 a month. We share the monthly cost of heat, electric, trash,and phone. Our water cost is in the electric for we have well water.
Every post we make on steemit and all earnings from those post are going to be kept for this fund. I would like to invest some in market but time will tell. Learning about the markets and how to make $ grow takes some time and timing.
Donations are welcome along with up votes. Thank you for your time.
Contact information
By Julie Durham
Funding is for a Wheelchair accessible Vehicle for transportation of Abbi Durham
Versailles Missouri
@abbijulie
koontz842@gmail.com subject funding@abbijulie
Julie Durham on messenger
Love always makes the world better. 💕💜💙💚💛💝💓
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P. S. Note from Julie to your name personally, I want to thank you for your time. I would love to be able to take Abbi out on the road in a safe reliable vehicle that is paid off so that insurance would be less. A vehicle that will last more than ten to fifteen years is a dream. I would for sure do this on my own if I could. Remember steemit community that when you vote on any of our posts all earnings are for this dream.
I fill I have found a way to communicate my life, lessons, dreams, humor, thoughts, prayers, and much more yet to be realized even by me. I found a place that is a positive place not like others that do not even compete. Steemit also has a place that gives satisfaction of earning some pennies or bits, and that make me feel like a person doing my best with what I have.
THANK YOU 👨❤️👨👩❤️👩💑💞