Cleo 'The Encourager' Needs Your Help!

Hello world! I would like to introduce you to Cleo, a most amazing person and spiritual being, known as “The Encourager” for the joy she spreads to everyone she knows, and for the help she has given to so many throughout her life. This kind and compassionate soul has fallen on hard times and is asking for your help, so she can restore her body and mind to a state of wellness. She so desperately wants to continue the good works she was put on this Earth to do, building up the community with her energy and positivity, guiding the distressed and addicted with her wise counsel, and writing the book that is her destiny to write so the whole world can benefit from her experiences-- will you help The Encourager get back to her destiny, encouraging all humanity?

Where did she come from?

Cleo was raised on a humble dairy farm in Nebraska where she learned to milk the cows and care for the horses; she had an innate connection to the animals, who trusted her like no one else for her gentle ministrations. At age 18 she was elected as Nebraska’s Dairy Princess, from which platform she found she was a natural teacher, sharing her knowledge of husbandry all throughout the state. Her father, a strong yet tender man, ahead of his time, taught her that women should have equal opportunities as men, and encouraged her to follow her dreams, wherever they might lead. Cleo took her father’s wisdom to heart and became a success in many fields:

Breaking the Glass Ceiling in Banking: Cleo was the first woman to become Vice President at Key Savings and was the first woman promoted to Management at World Savings with responsibilities throughout the U.S.

Real Estate Entrepreneur: Cleo was a self-employed real estate broker for three decades, one of the first female real estate appraisers in Colorado and was the first female to own both Brokerage and Appraisal companies in Colorado.

Judicial Pioneer: Cleo was among the first certified mediators approved in the Jefferson County, CO justice system.

Church Leader: Cleo served as choir director, lay minister, inspirational counsellor, and motivational speaker, at many churches and spiritual centers.

Recovery Coach/Addiction Counselor: Cleo became Colorado State-Approved Spiritual Director and Certified Addiction Counselor at the Courage to Change Ranch with certification from the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors. Here, as her supervisor wrote, she “worked tirelessly to inspire addicts and alcoholics, whom everyone else had rejected, to pick up the pieces of their lives and begin the process of change,” and where “all who had the good fortune to work with her speak of her compassion, commitment, and passion for helping others find their path to wellness. “

Devoted Volunteer: Cleo has volunteered for many agencies and services, such as at Starfish Children’s Services, helping foster children get the medical care they needed, and Combat Veterans Cowboy Up, where she guided those suffering from PTSD to find peace in the community of horses.

At each place she worked, her colleagues and clients remember that she was truly “a blessing and inspiration to all in her path.”

Hard Times and Medical Issues

Now, it is a sad fact about life on this earth that those who have enjoyed many blessings in the time of their youth and strength can fall upon hard times later in life. And so, our dear Cleo has suffered from several serious medical conditions, as well as emotional and financial hard times.

Heart: In 1993, near death, Cleo was diagnosed with a 2”x 2.5” hole in her heart; doctors had to put a patch on it, as it was too large to sew shut. In 2013-14 she was admitted to the hospital thirteen times for heart and nervous system issues, and had four ablation procedures and a pacemaker installed.

Severe memory loss from a black mold infestation in her senior apartment in New Mexico. Later, she suffered a serious fall at Walmart: her head hit the hard floor and she was knocked unconscious. This trauma so weakened her, that by that the time she had the strength to seek help from Walmart, three months later, they no longer had the video of the incident available, and would not help her. She still suffers continuous pain in her head and knee from the incident. She was referred to a brain specialist, but with the injury limiting her ability to drive, no reliable car to get her to the specialist 100 miles away, and no ability to pay, she never was able to get the treatment she needed. To this day her ongoing mold-related illness and injuries from her fall leave her with most of her memory lost, and much difficulty attending to her daily needs.

Digestive failure: Cleo has been in the hospital five times in the past two years for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Small Bowel Obstruction, and a Paralyzed Intestine. Through all this, Cleo has been suffering from continuous gut pain and constipation, which leads to her not eating regularly and severe weight loss. And to top it all, insurance does not cover the cost of her prescription medications.

Teeth: Cleo has only three teeth that she can chew on, and is desperate need of implants: as everyone knows, tooth pain is the worst, and the more her mouth hurts her, the less she can eat, and the worse her digestive problems become.

COPD and Allergies make it hard for her to breathe freely and to complete her daily tasks. Further, her allergy medication makes her so drowsy that everything seems more difficult and hopeless. She wants so badly to be done with these medications!

Finances: Cleo had put all the wealth that she had accumulated herself over the years into her dream ranch in Colorado, restoring the 1920’s-era cottage, building a barn, putting up new fencing, and hoping to live out her life there caring for her beloved horses and other animals. During a bitter divorce in 2009, with no lawyer willing to handle her case, she lost the ranch and crashed financially, and has never recovered. Her health issues, exacerbated by the anxiety, fear, and traumatic stress of the divorce, have spiraled out of control, eating up an ever-larger portion of her fixed Social Security income of $1200/mo. And her medical insurance does not cover prescription medications!

Depression: With all that has been going on with her health, it can be difficult for her to find the positive, energetic spirit by which she expresses her best self and brings joy to the world.

Personal goals:

To restore her health and memory so she can finish writing the book which is her life’s purpose to write and to get back to being the inspiring emotional and spiritual mentor she has always been, honoring all faiths and life paths.

Why she is raising money:

To pay for the medications and physical therapy left uncovered by her insurance

To get the homeopathic treatment that has been recommended to her for ongoing mold poisoning, which, including transportation, room, board and a rental car, can be very expensive

To purchase reliable transportation, preferably a used truck which can move her personal belongings, as her 2002 Ford Taurus is on its last legs

To pay for the dental care she desperately needs

To relocate from Nevada to North Carolina to be near her goddaughter, as she is no longer capable of living on her own; she never had children, and has no other family who can help her

To hire someone to help her drive across the U.S. to North Carolina

To get a smartphone, as a necessity of modern life, and help to learn how to use it

To afford help in writing and publishing her book

To pay rent on an apartment until she can get into low-income housing for seniors and to be able to buy furniture for her new place once she moves

What she hopes to raise: $40,000

Cleo is alone and has no one to help her. Will you lend your support with a small or large donation, so wonderful Cleo can reach her goals of health, self-sufficiency, and returning to her positive spiritual path? She has so much she still needs to do on this planet!

Thanks and blessings to you all!