For those who are seeing this series for the first time, I came to the Daily Kos community to ask for help for a Veteran who has PTSD. He is 25 years old, married to a woman he has loved for 9 years, and has a 3 year old child. His wife is legally blind. They live in Dallas. They were homeless. Leo travels by bus 6 hours every day. The stress of that trip has made his PTSD unbearable.
I asked for your help to move Leo and his family to an apartment nearer his college. Currently they live in Irving and he attends Richland College. Your response has been breathtaking.
It's been quite a day for Leo. You made that possible. Let me tell you about it.
The Leo's have an apartment! It was a large miracle performed in two hours this morning. Among those of you who wanted to help was a Kossack name of Greene Fox [love that lady - and what a daughter she produced!] who stated that her daughter was a professional apartment finder. I called, we talked, she connected with Leo.
The deadline: August 31. That's when the Leo's lease was up. She discovered that Leo had a minor credit problem. Scott from the KINship project reached into the funds you donated and cleared up that issue on Saturday. That left Sunday and Monday before class at 11AM to find an apartment. Sunday, Becky, our pro apartment finder discovered her car wasn't working. Sunday was consumed with car repair. That left only Monday before class.
Becky and Leo discovered the perfect place only 26 minutes from Richland College by foot - 4 minutes by car and who knows by bicycle. OMG!
Move date is Saturday. We are waiting to hear if they can get access Friday night.
So get ready to R-O-O-O-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L!
We'll get to the nitty gritty in the comments.
I had a very long talk with Mrs. Leo. She's learned to trust and love you all. She told me a love story I want to share with you. Because she is legally blind, when she and Leo first met she had no idea Leo wasn't yet 16. She was 21 at the time. She immediately dialed down the relationship to a friendship. When he became 16 he immediately turned up the heat. She had to admit they were in love.
At 17 Leo entered the Air Force. When he joined, his mother disowned him. He hasn't talked to her since. Mrs. Leo followed him through basic training and all the way through the service. Then Little Leo came along.
At 22 Leo was involved in a service related accident. I don't know the details, but it cost him most of the use of his left arm. It also left him with PTSD. Leo was forced into a medical discharge with 20% diability rating. After he got out, he was unable to work and they became homeless.
Finally he got a job with UPS. Last year, just as things were looking good Leo was rear ended. Suddenly he not only had no car, but he had no way to get to work. Through all of that, the Leo's have remained together and very much in love. [I'd tell you Leo's views of his wife, but he'd kill me. Guys are such wusses about that stuff.]
I'm going to stop here and publish this, but we have to hold a virual party for Surfer Mom's mom, Grandma Marie who is 83 today. Hold your comments on that until you see Marie's picture.
ATTN Dallas Kossacks: If you are looking for a new apartment, Becky made this happen.
Thank you everyone for a trip to the Recommended List. I would take the bows, but
Scott from the KINship project made this thing work - assisted by all of you who gave money to make sure the Leo's could move. The KINship project is an excellent program created right here on DailyKos to help other Kossacks with an immediate need. If you love the feeling you get from helping the Leo's, visit the KINship project and leave a little love behind.
UPDATE
PLEASE NOTE: There will be no diary tomorrow, unless someone wants to write it. There is a Vet in trouble who needs me now. I have to leave all of you, but please continue. I'll be back in an hour.