Sally finds even trying to step into her shower and use her toilet to be so incredibly painful. Albert tried to make a makeshift ramp to help her into the tub, but his back pain limits his ability to help Sally without injuring himself.
Sally and Albert Borboa needed many repairs for their home—their air conditioning and heater were broken, making for cold winters and hot summers, their bathrooms were no longer accessible to accommodate their disabilities, and their granddaughter’s severe allergies were exacerbated by the carpeting in the house.
Due to many ailments and disabilities, it was challenging to upkeep their home. Both of them have had knee surgeries and will require more surgeries—for their knees and backs—in the years to come.
“The weight on our shoulder was, ‘How are we going to pay for this?” says Albert, “And then we thought—why not try Habitat?”
[mk_image src=”https://habitattucson.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/home-repair.png” image_size=”full”]
One of the biggest surprises for Albert and Sally was that the repairs weren’t just stopping there! In fact, at the end of their repairs, they learned their home would also be painted by A Brush With Kindness volunteers. They’re thrilled that their home will be so well cared for, inside and out.
“It was so much more than we expected!” says Sally. “I was very impressed reading about the program online, because I never knew it was worldwide. I thought Habitat was just a Tucson thing!”
[mk_image src=”https://habitattucson.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/untitled-52.png” image_size=”full”]
Sally and Albert have helped people all our lives. Anytime a friend in the community was struggling with health or grieving the loss of a loved one, they were always ready and willing to help. Sally and Albert even raised their granddaughters when their biological parents were unable to.
“We never had kids of our own,” says Sally, looking at Albert. “But he inherited quite of few of mine!” Now their granddaughter is about to start her senior year of high school, with plans of going to school for nursing at the University of Arizona the following year.
With the new repairs to their home, Sally and Albert know this will become a safe place for them to age and as a stable landing place for their granddaughter as she pursues her studies.
[mk_image src=”https://habitattucson.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/screen-shot-2019-08-15-at-2.44.32-pm.png” image_size=”full”]
“It feels like a blanket of hope, because it’s stuff that we couldn’t have done on our own,” says Sally.
As the repairs are completed, Albert and Sally are filled with an incredible peace of mind. “Something my father taught me was that when somebody lends you a hand, don’t ever say no, because they’re offering it to you. So I felt this being an offering to me,” says Sally.
“We never could have done this alone.”