This year, United Way of Greater New Bedford and Fun 107 are once again teaming up to fulfill Holiday Wishes for families and individuals on the SouthCoast. Tune in from starting at 6:35 am all week (Dec. 4-8) to hear how you can help these families. Holiday Wishes allows us to help several SouthCoast families in need, in hopes of making the holidays a little brighter. You can help this year's families by texting WISHES23 to 26989 or click here.
Meet this year's families:
Monday 12/4
The Rozario/Leao family received some life changing news last September when Cy’rel, 11, was diagnosed with Duchene Muscular Dystrophy. Unlike other kids his age, he is unable to run or jump and struggles to walk without falling. Mom is unable to work full time due to all the medial appointments and has 3 other children at home. Click here to learn more.
Tuesday 12/5
Kyle Amaral was told in April of 2021 that he was in stage 5 kidney failure and in desperate need of a kidney transplant. Things have changed drastically for the family since the diagnosis. Kyle is no longer able to work and so his wife is working 2 jobs to make ends meet. They have 2 sons, Christopher 15 and Amaree 13. They are falling behind on bills and are always worried about how much longer Kyle will have with the family. Click here to learn more.
Wednesday 12/6
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In 2019, Anne Marie has a stroke that left her with health issues and lead to having heart surgery and a spleen aneurysm. Since the stroke, she has memory issues and falls frequently. Just before Christmas last year, her husband Dan was out walking his dog and stepped on a manhole cover that was not tight and he fell in. If it weren’t for the dog, he may have been hit by a car because it was tough to see him. Dan was severely injured and out of work for several months. Shortly after returning to work, his mother fell ill and the family went to Florida to set her care up. She passed away in May and they used most of their savings to pay for her care and final expenses. He works at Bishop Stang.
The have 7 children- 2 sons away in the military, 2 teenage boys, and 3 girls (all homeschooled) ages 12, 10, and 8. Several of the children also have medical issues.
Despite all this family has been though, they have a great attitude and still said I’m sure there are other families worse off than us that could be helped instead. Click here to learn more.
Thursday 12/7
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Stephanie’s daughter Kay, 11, was born with cerebral palsy and is wheelchair dependent, but she doesn’t let stop her - she is a strong willed and independent young woman. As she continues to grow, Kay’s needs change and this can sometimes put a strain on the family financially. A few years ago, Stephanie had to invest in a wheelchair van to get Kay around as she was getting to heavy to lift in and out of the car. The payments for the van are nearly $1,000 per month and the whole family does not fit in the van at once, so anytime they want to go out, they must take 2 vehicles.
Not long ago, Stephanie’s family grew by 2. She recently adopted her nephew after fostering him for 2 years and she had a baby girl in 2022. Her family will grow in 2024 as Stephanie is pregnant. She was recently informed that she is a high risk pregnancy due to placenta previa and was put on bedrest for the remainder of her pregnancy (due in May 2024).
Stephanie’s boyfriend Michael works in landscaping and is about to be laid off for the winter. They are doing everything they can to keep the family in their home and as normal as possible. Click here to learn more.
Friday 12/8
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Hope and her son found themselves homeless after fleeing a domestic violence situation earlier this. They lived in a shelter for 6 months and just a few weeks ago, they moved into an apartment in Fall River. Having to start over, they are doing their best to get their new home set up, but have no furniture or small household appliances. Son is a student at BCC and despite having Asperger’s Syndrome, he has been on the Dean’s list throughout his time there. He would like to become a history teacher. Hope just began a new job as an Intake Coordinator for a local nonprofit.
You can make a donation to help these families by texting WISHES23 to 26989 or clicking here.