By Danielle DeSisto:
During the first 33 days of her daughter’s life, a Burlington mother was filled with fear and pain rather than joy.
Her baby was born with a serious respiratory condition and spent over a month in the hospital. But the infant’s father left while her mother was recovering from a cesarean section, leaving her to care for their daughter alone.
Now 9 months old, the baby is very happy and never fails to bring a smile to her mother’s face. But her health is still on shaky ground. She underwent surgery earlier this month that will hopefully make it easier for her to breathe in the future.
Balancing her daughter’s medical needs and work schedule hasn’t been easy. The mother has needed to take extensive time off from work to take the baby to doctors' appointments, for which she doesn’t get paid.
As a result, the mother is behind on rent payments, and she and her daughter may be facing eviction just before Christmas.
“All I want to do is ensure that my baby enjoys her first Christmas and has a place to enjoy it in,” the mother wrote to the Give A Christmas fund, co-sponsored by the Burlington County Times and Willingboro Rotary Club. “I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my life, but she has been the best thing to ever happen to me. And though I know I can’t give her the world, I am doing all I can to give her whatever I have.”
Give A Christmas has collected and distributed over $3 million to local families in need since 1968. The program aims to raise $80,000 this year.
As of Friday, $27,982 has been collected.
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