As I started reading some of the other aidpages, I realized I've left out quite alot of information about myself and my families situation. To explain alittle more in detail about our current finances......we pay rent that is $1,500.00 a month, our utilities, (gas/electric/t.v.), is averaged at $300.00 a month, and food is about $400.00 a month, with two teenagers and my husband who are portuguese / puerto rican, so they have a very big appetite. Eventhough we shop at discount stores, we conserve at all times when ever possible, we have a dog that eats our scraps ,( no dog food ), so that we waste very little. We don't receive state help other than state medical. My two sons, work helping there aunty and grandmother,through out the week, who are elderly. In turn they both get $40.00 a month. In the past, they were the ones who helped us finacially, when we were in a bind. About one year ago, my husband left for work to go to New orleans, louisianna to work for Fema as a armed guard. He was to stay for 6 months but left after 3 months. My husband and I were so depressed,( couldn't eat or sleep), and felt lost without eachother! We could handle any struggles, just as long as we were together. So we agreed he should come home early. But ever since then, we has gotten gradually sicker! The doctors don't know what wrong with him, but they all agree that it was the result of being in contact with things that were still yet contaminated from hurricane Katrina. As the doctors say that they know of others with the same symptoms, ( frequent headaches, nausea, stomach pain, and fatigue). At first I thought he was having a hard time taking his fathers death who died one week before his departure, who died at 57 yrs old of bladder/stomach cancer. But his symptoms intensified and continued to get worse. So he is no longer able to work. Being that he was the sole bread winner for our family, its been hard. I work on call as a nurse while going to school. I did get my nurse assistance certifcation and I'm certified as a patient care technician, but I want to become a registered nurse. As nursing and helping people is my passion. We don't make enough living in Hawaii as it is very expensive to live here. Every month we can only pay one bill and the rent. So we juggle things to get by, as I make a fraction of our bills. I'm starting to see if I can baby sit to make the ends meet on the days that I'm home because we will be homeless shortly, if I can not find a way to make some more income, while my husband is ill. I feel so sad, because my husband always took care of me when no one else would, so I'm trying to do my best to help him, because he needs me. If you are able, we would be so very grateful for any donations at all.

Please forgive me about the way I made my aidpage. As I'm new to this, and the way to go about it. Struggling to make ends meet, taking care o my family and going to school, can side track me. If you have any questions or concerns please email me for any info at : holliewood@cheerful.com

I feel pretty ashamed doing this but I have to think of my 2 boys. It seems like every time I try my best to make sure we're self reliant, I seem to alwys fail. My life has been filled with ups and downs, but I figure what matters is whats on the inside not the outside. So I'll try to explain what I mean. When I was young, it was just my mother and myself, living in California. I loved my mom so much, but no matter how hard I tried to show her I loved her, she seemed to hate me more. She made me eat the worst foods and she'd say if you don't eat it I'll shove it down your throat, and she meant it. If I threw up, she'd put more on my plate. I wasn't allowed to play outside with the other kids. I wasn't allowed to watch , "THE SMURFS , " because they were of the devil, or any other t.v. show with out her being completely drunk. I wasn't allowed to speak inless I was spoken to, or she would slap me in the face! If I spoke in the grocery store she would hit me 10 times with the wooden spoon when we got home, which is extremely painful! My mom was a so called born again christian, but she was a huge drug addict! All drugs were game but heroin was her drug of choice and alot of liquor.She was also a health nut, so no sugar of any kind was in the house, much less salt or fatty foods. She prided herself on her figure because she would get more money from her many boyfriends that way. Once one would leave, ten minutes later another would enter. When she was really drunk she start having sex right in front of me. The men she liked had to be from prison, so they all would try to have sex with me when she wasn't around. When I tried to tell her she said I wanted attention, I was jealous, and a liar.I prayed for years that I could move away from her forever! When my mom went to jail for drugs she left me at my grandma's house. I thought I died and went to heaven with my grandma, she was so kind to me and my 2 uncles were nice to me too. Although, they were all alittle crazy to say the least. Because they were poor they became crafty criminals. The longer I stayed the longer we all loved eachother though, and I didn't care, I just wanted a happy family. By now my mother didn't want me anymore, so I begged to live with my grandma, so she agreed.I felt my prayers were answered! When the court date came for custody, my mom lied and said let her go anywhere but my grandma's. I was crushed! She didn't care where I went as long as I wasn't happy! My grandma, and uncle's and I cried. After that I was put in foster homes,and half way houses, until I was to live with my dad, in hawaii. I did long to have a dad for so long, but my dad ended up being far worse than my mom. He was a pervert and a drug addict. He insisted on me doing drugs too, or I had to move out. He hated me, because I was a burden to him and his evil wife. So he never fed me,(thank goodness for Mcdonald's free ketchup packets), he never clothed me, he never bought me school supplies.etc We lived downstairs from a family with 2 girls my age. We all shared the same washer and dryer, so I would borrow there clothes for school and then return them in the dryer when I got home. Now I was 12 to 13 yrs old when I fell in love with my soul mate (from school), Blaine. My dad hated him, because he was more of a man than he was.My dad said we wouldn't last! So when my dad saw that I was happy, he made me change schools. But that didn't stop me. Blaine and I would stop at nothing to be together. So when my dad found out that I was still seeing him he took me to a half way house,(halekipa), but I ran away. Blaine tried to talk his parents into letting me stay with him but they said no, so we lived on the beach. We said if we kill eachother than no one can ever seperate us again. When we called his mom, really to say goodbye, she said I could move in. I felt that my prayers were answered! Although it was hard living there over the years, we were together and we felt that was all that mattered! And were still together, and still in love! I got married when I was 18 yrs old. and now my two boys are 13 and 15 yrs old. I'm 34 yrs old and going to school to be a nurse but my husband can no longer work due to illness. We had a very successful business but without the right employees it couldn't stay affloat. Whatever you could send would be deeply appreciated, from the bottom of our hearts! Whatever is given us we will return in full when things get better when I finish school! Thankyou!!!!