Stories from Caregivers: Naomi from TEXAS
TX
Naomi
FROM TEXAS
My name is Naomi. I'm a 26 year old mother of 4. I've been blessed to take care of my grandad since I was 17 years old. My grandad is everything to me, he raised me since I was a newborn baby when both of my drug addicted parents decided they didnt want to be parents. Men like him are a thing of the past. He's strong willed, stubborn, but loving. The hardest worker you've ever seen, he's one of a kind! My best memories are riding down a backroad with him in an old rusty pick up. When I was 17 my grandad was still at the age of 74 working full time to support us. We never had a lot of money, bills were always a scary reality but we had love. I received a call that would forever change our lives. My grandad working as a security guard was found unconscious under a semi trailer. We will never fully know the details but they believe he had a stroke, fell and crawled under to protect himself from the heat which is easily 110 degrees in Texas, and being possibly ran over. I rushed to the hospital were I was told he would not recover. They declared him brain dead and told me my only option was to remove the plug. I told them NO, if anyone could beat this it was him right? The dad that never got sick, the super hero, he couldn't be gone. I waited by his side day and night and one night he squeezed my hand and I knew we could do this, he wasn't ready, he still had fight in him. I held on and each day he improved. My dad will never be what he once was but that's ok, he has me! He is paralyzed on his left side and he is bed ridden but I am blessed to care for him. It's hard and we struggle but he has been able to meet all 4 of his great grand babies, and that's something spectacular!! We are blessed to have each other he took me in as his own and raised me and now I take care of him. God knew we were meant to be. Best dad in the world!!
