One day, a mother, Sue, came into Colorado Homeless Families sobbing, desperate to speak to Connie Zimmerman.  She was at her wits end.  In between sobs, she told her story, what started out with such promise, turned out to be heart breaking.

Her son, John, had been accepted into the police academy with a scholarship.  How happy and proud he was that he would be protecting society and providing for his mother.  She had worked hard and sacrificed much to provide for him while he was in school.

However, during the physical for the academy, a spot on John's back was discovered.  It turned out to be Stage 4 Melanoma and the doctor only gave him a few months to live.  The once confident son began having chest pains.  When he went to the doctor, he discovered two things.  First, he wasn't having a heart attack, but the stress of his condition was causing anxiety attacks.  Second, his insurance would not fully cover all of his cancer treatments.

So, poor Sue, although she was working full time, could not provide medial treatment for her son AND pay rent.  If she paid medical treatment, where would they live?  If she paid rent, how would her son survive?  What was a mother to do?

Connie invited them to move into Colorado Homeless Families.  John is getting treatment and has made some amazing progress, so much so, that the police academy is reserving his spot at the academy.

CHF keeps families safe and off of the streets, while they recover from life threatening obstacles, like cancer.

Story Updates:  As of March, 2008...  John did at first make some good progress with the treatments he received, but soon after he started the Police Academy again the doctors began finding tumors.  Unfortunately, he is currently in the hospital undergoing intensive chemotherapy in the hope that it can shrink a very large tumor growing in his abdomen.

His mother, Sue, is only able to work part time because caring for her son has become a full time job, and an emotionally overwhelming one.  She is very grateful that she has a place to stay here at Colorado Homeless Families and a support system in the other residents and the staff.  She has also been able to work with a counselor to sort through the trauma.  They have no relatives and no family in this area that can help them, so the help they receive here has kept them off the streets.

Thanks to the assistance you provide, Sue can continue to focus on getting her son well without worrying about rent or finding a place to stay.  Their story is tragic, but we are glad that Colorado Homeless Families has been able to provide Sue and John with the housing and emotional support that they desperately need.