Christmas Tragedy (Husband Passed)

Background Story: Please help me save Christmas for two amazing Children and there dedicated Mother. My name is Chef Jeremy Cooper and I am the Research and Development Director in a competitive kitchen developing new product lines. I’m one of the most difficult people to work for since I am Autistic, Dyslexic, A.D.H.D. and OCD (White Glove kind of stuff). I practice a level of molecular food science that puts most chemists to shame. I’m a perfectionist with a lack of patience for those who don’t follow directions. Why is that important to this story? It takes an extraordinary person to gain my respect and the women in this true story has not only earned it but earned my friendship as well. I'm on a mission to Save Her Christmas! I met Jessica 5 months ago when she was assigned to my kitchen to mop and sweep the floor. She started mopping the floor to a quality level of meticulousness, quickness, and focus on attention to detail mentality. When I first gave her a few pointers, she looked me straight in the eye and said, “Yes Chef.” To look me in the eye, I’m told, is hard enough. However, she has even a harder time since I am 6’4, 276lbs, and she is 5’ tall, and not more than 100lbs. My drill-instructor-meticulous-intellectual-attitude intimidates the most confident of men, so having a confident 24-year-old mother of two look me in the eye and take real initiative was impressive. Over the last five months she has transformed and been promoted from packager to custodian, from custodian cleaning assistant to pot watcher, then from cooking assistant to kitchen assistant, and now finally running my kitchen and leading our staff as team manager. She is a formidable little chef. She’s short and sweet, tough and patient, honorable and filled with integrity -a rare woman and human indeed.   When I met this shy young lady, I found out she is a mom of two kids. She worked like a rock star all the while the entire time her world began falling apart around her. She was living with the father of her children whom she truly loved, in a beat up old motorhome with two kids with barely enough money to live. But she always had a smile on her face, a grasp on her life, and goals to be someone greater for her family. She drives an hour each way to and from work in a 15-year-old car that recently broke down. If it was a story of a car breaking down, or not being able to pay for uniforms, or missing work because her child had chicken pox, this would be an easy fix. The chicken pox went away, the car got fixed by her man and I paid for her uniforms. That is not what is going on now.  I asked her the other day what do you want to give your kids for Christmas? She said, “A home to call our own so we don’t have to live in a motorhome and not need to move from driveway to driveway. However, I would be happy with the plan I have for now because I know it’s coming soon. So, for my kids I want each of them to receive a gift of something to wear, something to read, and something to play with.” She had a small respectable list which was less than $300, which we gladly took care of with an open heart. I wish that had been it this holiday season, but fate had other plans. The Story: We all go out about our day counting down the festivities, gifts, glad tidings, amazing food, constant shopping, and tedious traffic. The countdown to Christmas is a time all children should look forward to. A time for joy, a time for family, a time for happiness. 12 days before Christmas Jess found out her Love was addicted to Heroin and has been using drugs during the entire duration of their relationship. She found out he had squandered all her savings she had saved to move into an apartment before Christmas for her family. All the money she thought she had is now gone. People all over America suffer with addiction and he had someone to help send him to treatment and give their family a second chance. However, the family would never have that chance. On December 18th just after work, I received a phone call to the most terrifying and heart-breaking sound I have ever heard -Jessica’s heart breaking. After what seemed an eternity just to coach her through breathing she mustered these broken gasping words, “HE’S GONE, HE KILLED HIMSELF, HE LEFT US, HE LEFT HIS CHILDREN, Oh MY GOD…….”. Unfortunately, Jessica walked in to the tragic scene moments after her husband killed himself. I have heard the sounds of pain, the cries of grieving, the sounds and feelings that death brings, but the moment of heartbreak, and the tearing of one’s soul will stay with you forever. Today is December the 20th, 2017 at 11:11am and she is about to tell her oldest child who just turned 4 and who just started school, that a man he calls Dad is not coming back home. It is 5 days before Christmas. I ask you to please give as we wish nothing more than to give this hardworking and deserving woman a home for the holidays. I have décor, some furniture, lamps, and bedding and a few other things. I will be happy to go thrift shopping to fill a house for them to make it a home. $5,000 is enough to get her the apartment she had originally saved for. It will help give her and her two children a place to sleep and call home. If there was ever a need for a Christmas Miracle now is the time. I will help make the magic happen, I will give up everything I can to make this a home for them. Please help me help Jessica and her two children, 1-year old LeeAnn and 4-year-old Kaiden. Anything will help, you can make a difference and see the power of giving.  With a Heavy Heart, Happy Holidays and Thank you…