Dear Friends,
I am writing to let you know about a 64 year old Iranian friend with no feet or legs that I have known and helped for the last few months.
To not reveal his identity, I will call him Mr. A. He knows no one, needs your help badly, and is embarrassed to ask for it. Please let me know what you can do for him.
I recently met with Mr. A and asked his permission to give you all the information regarding his history in hopes you might be able to find others to help him.
Mr. A came to the USA on a visitor's visa in 1977 because of the instability in our country. He was employed by the government at that time. In 1985, Mr. A applied for asylum but when President Reagan, in that same year, offered Amnesty, he changed his request because amnesty was an easier process than asylum. He was issued a Social Security Number and Residency Card at that time.
In 1983, Mr. A was diagnosed with diabetes. It was found through a routine check-up.
In 1994 his briefcase was stolen with his Social Security Card and Residency Card, along with other papers. He never tried to replace them.
Mr. A, in spite of careful diet and medication, had to have one toe removed in 2005. In 2006, he suffered a heart attack and required a quadruple bypass surgery. In 2007, he lost his right foot and leg below the knee. Three months later he lost the left leg below the knee.
From 2007 to mid 2009, Mr. A went from hospital to hospital. For several months he was in a nursing home. In the summer of 2009, he was sent to a shelter where Dallas Crisis Intervention became involved. Marilu Thorn, of Dallas Crisis, contacted an organization (Love in Action) regarding possible help for Mr. A. Because they had already filed papers for the replacement of his Residency Card, which was expected to take only 3 months, this organization agreed to pay for his expenses in an extended stay motel. They soon realized that the papers needed to be refilled and a fee of $370.00 paid in order to avoid further delay. The 3 months stretched into 6 months. When Mr. A finally received a response from Immigration, he was told that he would have to start his whole process over.
In February, this organization took Mr. A's papers to an attorney. He has requested information from the government on Mr. A's status, which could take up to four months. Mr. Gibson, the attorney, thinks most likely when he changed from asylum to amnesty, the government failed to change his alien number. The alien number he is using is for asylum which he never followed through with. The amnesty was a two-step procedure. If Mr. A did not arrange for the second step, (he doesn't remember about that) his case would have been dropped.
Mr. A is now living at Midpark Tower. The rent is $625.00 monthly. All utilities are paid. He receives food stamps but needs about $10.00 to $20.00 a week for laundry and items not covered by food stamps (non-food items such as toilet tissue, cleaning supplies and hygiene items). Because Love in Action thought he would be getting Social Security by this time with some back pay, they signed for him to have cable with his phone. That is $116.94.
Unfortunately, a few weeks ago he fell from his wheelchair and fractured a bone under his spine. He is now going under rehabilitation in one of the medical facility.
Recently, Love in Action informed me that they are unable to continue paying his expenses even though we were paying ¼ of it. They were going to stop assisting him completely, starting this month (May 2010). But after a long discussion, we both agreed to pay his expenses as following:
· Month May 2010 ----- 1/4 of expenses, about $250.00 paid
· Month June 2010 ----- 1/2 of expenses, about $500.00.
· Month July 2010 ------ 2/3 of expenses, about $750.00.
· Month August 2010 & after, we will pay his expenses in full, about $1000/mo.
We also need some help to follow up with his immigration papers, so we may possibly dig up government assistance.
Please help out our fellow country man. I truly believe LOVE is a verb, and I am asking you for action. Mother Teresa said it beautifully “ We are all pencils in the hand of God writing love letters to the world.”
I thank you in advance for any support that you can make available for this friend.
Please do not close your eyes to this matter and forward the email to your friends.
Please let me know if you need more information.
Thanks again,
Kazem Nikravan
Tel: 972-818-6161