‘I didn’t know if he was going to make it’
(Part 1 of 3) “To be honest, we didn’t think COVID was that bad. It seemed like a lot of people getting sick got over it, and they weren’t hospitalized. I got COVID in August 2020. I lost my taste and...
‘Being a widow was a new chapter in my life’
“My husband [Jack Spurlock] passed away a few years ago. He had Parkinson’s. “It started with tremors in his hands. He would go to drink his coffee, and he would shake a little bit. He’d have to hold the cup with...
‘What’s a beautiful memory for you was a nightmare for me’
“When I was a little kid, my father took me to see an uncle in the hospital in Mexico. My uncle had gotten into an argument with his dad, my grandfather. It was over money he gave to a woman. I...
‘I had a lot of confusion about how a man should treat a woman’
“I grew up in a household where I never saw affection. Well, I saw it from one individual, the female, but not from the male. He was always too macho. “It was a physically abusive environment. Not toward me, but the...
He doesn’t let dyslexia define him
“I have dyslexia. I started really noticing it near the end of my sophomore year in high school. I had trouble staying focused on one topic, and I would mix-match letters sometimes. “It was kind of distracting at first, but I...
He finds that saving money pays off
“I just moved into an apartment. Just got a new car. Just got this dog. It all happened in one month. It’s exciting. It’s the next step, the next chapter for me. “The dog was kind of a surprise. But I...
Young mother proud of sons and herself
“I was really young when I had my boys. I got pregnant at 12, and I was 15 when I had the second one. Basically, I was raising my babies while I was still a baby. I raised them while going...
She continues her mother’s life lessons
“I remember everything. I was 7 years old when she started being nauseous and feeling weak. I would walk her to the restroom and back to the living room. At first, she thought she was pregnant. But it was cancer. And...
Caregiver redirects efforts to help elderly
“I got my CNA [certified nursing assistant] license and started working at an all-boys CPS [Child Protective Services] facility. I went in there with a good mental state a year ago. I thought I could handle it and make a difference....
‘I’m moving parts that haven’t moved in years’
“I went walking today, and I found this beat-up basketball over there in the grass. I thought, I may as well see if I can still shoot. “I played sports in high school, basketball and football. It’s been a while, though....
