It almost feels like Alice’s chance at a normal life was stolen from her. What else can you say about someone who was sick from birth, who suffered a traumatic brain injury as a child, and who was abused endlessly both inside and outside her home?

Alice’s mom was mentally ill and heavily medicated during her childhood. She had no problem beating Alice, isolating her, and making her feel unwanted.

“Mom hated us,” says Alice. “Dad loved me. My mom didn’t care about me.”

Alice can’t recall her mother ever being affectionate, but the abuse assuredly got worse after her brain injury. When she was just six years old, Alice fell 15 feet off an apartment balcony and landed on her head. All she remembers about the incident is that two dogs were fighting. She was scared and trying to get away.
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Alice’s mom, not knowing anything about brain injuries, picked her up before she received medical help. This likely did further damage, and Alice ultimately slipped into a coma for 3 weeks.

The accident caused permanent damage. Alice’s mental capacity was severely reduced. She had trouble learning new things and fell behind in school. She developed neuropathy in her hands and feet, making physical activity harder. From that day forward, it seems, Alice’s mother saw her as broken and unlovable.

“My mom and dad were always fighting about me,” says Alice. “My mom grounded me all the time. And my mom beat me.”

“When I got beat by my mom, I had to go to school and the teachers wanted to know why I’d come in [bruised],” says Alice. “When my mom hit me with a two-by-four, it left a bruise on my right side all the way down to my toes. My teacher took me into the girls’ gym and asked me about it.”

Alice was too scared to say what had really happened, and sadly nothing came of it.

The torment didn’t end there. Alice was bullied constantly by kids at school and in the neighborhood because of her disabilities.

“I didn’t have any friends,” says Alice. “Kids were vicious and ugly. They teased me about sucking my thumb and wearing glasses. They were horrible.”

Alice found ways to escape her pain. She played the piano and violin for a time, and even a little bit of banjo with her brother Kent. Alice, who lived close to a beach, took long walks along the shore. She spent many hours out on the sand, listening to the water.

“[When I was sad], I’d have talks with my dad,” says Alice. “And if I wanted to scream, I’d go down the beach path and scream at the seagulls or the whales.”

Alice endured more trauma when Kent, her only sibling who treated her halfway decent, took his own life at the age of 19. Kent, an excellent student who had graduated high school early, was under a lot of familial pressure to become a doctor. “He wasn’t mentally ready for it,” Alice thinks.

With everything she’s been through, it’s a wonder Alice was able to have some semblance of a normal life after she left home. She graduated high school, worked a variety of jobs, including as a nurse’s aide, and was married for more than a decade.

Now, though, Alice is alone. It’s been that way since she moved to North Dakota in the early 90s. Her only surviving relatives live far away, and in the years since, her mental and physical health have deteriorated to the point where she can no longer take care of herself.

That’s where the Mission comes into this story. Alice was evicted from her apartment earlier this year due to issues with her hoarding and pets. The Mission was the best place for her to be, and we knew we could help her get the level of care that she needed.

In addition to her mental disabilities and anxiety, Alice suffers from fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, migraines, and COPD, a lung disease which makes it difficult to breathe. She relies on a CPAP machine at night and uses a walker or wheelchair at all times. Many basic tasks, like cooking and showering, are beyond her ability.

Our social workers put their heads together to come up with an appropriate place for Alice to be. It wasn’t easy - with the senior population growing, assisted living placements for people like Alice are becoming increasingly rare. Our team found some promising options, however, and we waited for a spot to open up. Meanwhile, we kept Alice safe and fed. We made sure she got her medication and made it to her doctor’s appointments. And we gave her some new clothing and hygiene items to replace what she had lost.

During her time at the Mission, Alice leaned heavily on God for support. She carried a wooden cross with her, and she attended the volunteer-run Bible study every Thursday.

“I pray every night,” says Alice. “I have to thank God for picking me up every day…as low as I get.”

By the grace of God, a spot in assisted living opened up for Alice after three months. She is finally getting the care she needs. She is back to listening to the audiobooks she so dearly loves (she is particularly fond of local Christian authors like Lauraine Snelling) and coloring to pass the time.

It’s very likely that Alice is only alive today because people like you cared enough to give her somewhere safe to be. Your gifts and prayers truly save lives, and we are so blessed for your support.

“I’m a survivor, and God isn’t done with me yet,” says Alice. “My story is meant to [help other people], because that’s what God wants me to do…reach out and tell people that there is hope. Faith and love is what God wants us to do.”
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Friends: More seniors like Alice are at the Mission now or on their way, and they need you. Will you give today to provide that first night of shelter for someone like Alice?‍‍