Dustie's Recovery
Donation protected
Since I can remember, my mom has been my best friend. And not in the way that mothers and daughters are by nature, but my true best friend. When my parents got a divorce, almost 10 years ago, she stood by my side, unwavering in her support and fierce in her loyalty. Ask anyone, and they can vouch for how much her kids mean to her; how they make her world spin, how she would do anything it took to take care of them and make sure that they were okay, and how she's raised 4 respectful, kind, and incredibly resillient children. She always made sure we had a roof over our heads, food to eat, and clothes on our backs. No matter how hopeless a situation felt, she always found a way to turn it into something positive. We never went to bed questioning her love for us or her determination to give us a better life. She's superwoman in a lot of ways, and most of my life she seemed invincible, unbeatable.
But earlier this month, our entire world shifted, dramatically. My mom and my youngest brother were involved in a wreck, and as odd as it sounds, I will forever be grateful to the woman who rear-ended her that morning. After the wreck, I dropped her off at the hospital so she could get checked out, just in case. I never expected what came next. Just as my mom was getting ready to leave, the doctors stopped her and told her she couldn't leave because they had found something. Something in her brain.
I will never forget that phone call. The panic I couldn't shake, the confusion I felt, and the surreal nature of it all. I couldn't believe that something like this could happen to the woman I still saw through a child's eyes; strong, independant, invincible.
When I arrived at the hospital, I just remember thinking...she looked so small. She had always been superwoman to me, ten feet tall, so how was it that she looked so small laying there in her hospital bed, anxiously awaiting results?
Those next few days were agonizing, waiting on test results. I will never be able to explain to anyone the feeling of watching your mother, helplessly, already convinced that she was on the brink of death. But after days of waiting, we got good news! It was something called a menengioma: it had been growing for years, was dramatically affecting her moods, but it was non-cancerous! One hurdle down.
However, brain surgery is necessary to remove the tumor, and that's our next obstacle. She will be in the ICU for a while afterwards, but even after she goes home, she won't be able to drive, work, or do much of anything but lay down and recover for up to 6 months after her surgery. She can't provide anything for my younger brothers until she is recovered; she can't buy food, can't buy clothes, can't get them back and forth (an hour both ways) to school. She's helpless and she's terrified. That is why I've written this long-winded post. We desperately need help. I'm only 22 and can barely support myself most of the time, much less a pre-teen and a teenager. They are currently living with me until the summer, and going home to their mom on the weekends. They are sleeping on the couch and eating what I can provide for them, which to be honest isn't much. I work full-time but it's just not enough for us to all make it.
My 11 year old brother has one pair of pants, they're ripped up and it devestates him to have to wear them everyday. My 16 year old brother can't do anything that a kid his age should be able to, because there's no way we can afford it. Extra food, extra gas, field trip fees, and additional utility charges add up quickly when you've got two young boys living with you. My mom can't do anything but offer encouragement, no matter how much she wants to help provide for them, and it breaks her heart. My grandparents are taking care of her; filling her prescriptions, driving her into town for her doctor's appointments, and making sure she has food to eat as well. Neither of them are able to work, due to pre-existing medical conditions, and times are getting incredibly tough on their end as well.
Even if you can't donate, please share this post with as many people as you can. We are all holding it together the best that we can, but in the end, it's just not enough and it only gets harder everyday.
Please help us ease the mind of the woman that has always worked so hard to take care of us. I've never been one to post my issues on the internet, but we've run out of options and this is our last resort. Everything, even a dollar helps, but if you're not in that place financially, I completely understand. Please just spread this as far as you can and help us make my mom's recovery as smooth as humanly possible. Thank you for reading (if you made it all the way to the end of this).
Blessings,
Courtney Dwyer
But earlier this month, our entire world shifted, dramatically. My mom and my youngest brother were involved in a wreck, and as odd as it sounds, I will forever be grateful to the woman who rear-ended her that morning. After the wreck, I dropped her off at the hospital so she could get checked out, just in case. I never expected what came next. Just as my mom was getting ready to leave, the doctors stopped her and told her she couldn't leave because they had found something. Something in her brain.
I will never forget that phone call. The panic I couldn't shake, the confusion I felt, and the surreal nature of it all. I couldn't believe that something like this could happen to the woman I still saw through a child's eyes; strong, independant, invincible.
When I arrived at the hospital, I just remember thinking...she looked so small. She had always been superwoman to me, ten feet tall, so how was it that she looked so small laying there in her hospital bed, anxiously awaiting results?
Those next few days were agonizing, waiting on test results. I will never be able to explain to anyone the feeling of watching your mother, helplessly, already convinced that she was on the brink of death. But after days of waiting, we got good news! It was something called a menengioma: it had been growing for years, was dramatically affecting her moods, but it was non-cancerous! One hurdle down.
However, brain surgery is necessary to remove the tumor, and that's our next obstacle. She will be in the ICU for a while afterwards, but even after she goes home, she won't be able to drive, work, or do much of anything but lay down and recover for up to 6 months after her surgery. She can't provide anything for my younger brothers until she is recovered; she can't buy food, can't buy clothes, can't get them back and forth (an hour both ways) to school. She's helpless and she's terrified. That is why I've written this long-winded post. We desperately need help. I'm only 22 and can barely support myself most of the time, much less a pre-teen and a teenager. They are currently living with me until the summer, and going home to their mom on the weekends. They are sleeping on the couch and eating what I can provide for them, which to be honest isn't much. I work full-time but it's just not enough for us to all make it.
My 11 year old brother has one pair of pants, they're ripped up and it devestates him to have to wear them everyday. My 16 year old brother can't do anything that a kid his age should be able to, because there's no way we can afford it. Extra food, extra gas, field trip fees, and additional utility charges add up quickly when you've got two young boys living with you. My mom can't do anything but offer encouragement, no matter how much she wants to help provide for them, and it breaks her heart. My grandparents are taking care of her; filling her prescriptions, driving her into town for her doctor's appointments, and making sure she has food to eat as well. Neither of them are able to work, due to pre-existing medical conditions, and times are getting incredibly tough on their end as well.
Even if you can't donate, please share this post with as many people as you can. We are all holding it together the best that we can, but in the end, it's just not enough and it only gets harder everyday.
Please help us ease the mind of the woman that has always worked so hard to take care of us. I've never been one to post my issues on the internet, but we've run out of options and this is our last resort. Everything, even a dollar helps, but if you're not in that place financially, I completely understand. Please just spread this as far as you can and help us make my mom's recovery as smooth as humanly possible. Thank you for reading (if you made it all the way to the end of this).
Blessings,
Courtney Dwyer
Organizer and beneficiary
Courtney Marie Dwyer
Organizer
Nashville-Davidson, TN
Dustie Dwyer
Beneficiary