(Day 11) Little Miracles

MISSION — Martha Tijerina corrals three of her sons to the kitchen table so they can begin their homework.

After they finish, the boys — Nicolas, Joshua and Christopher Vargas — rush out of their seats to resume their game of football.

But Christopher’s twin, Timothy, sits on the floor of the family’s living room, engrossed in his toy keyboard. The 6-year-old loves the sounds he hears when he presses the keys.

If he wanted to join his brothers in their rough housing, he shows no signs. Even if he wanted to, though, his body wouldn’t let him.

Timothy has cerebral palsy and has undergone a few surgeries, including one to repair his trachea, which would collapse.

Timothy still cannot talk. (Watch "The Vargas Family," a Monitor video presentation)

But Tijerina takes every little miracle she can, like when he began walking a few weeks ago.

“I started crying. He’s come a long way,” she said.

Timothy has a walker to help him, but many times Tijerina will have to carry him over to a neighbor’s house where she keeps a wheelchair for him. She does not have a wheelchair ramp at her mobile home.

Commitment to education

A single mother, Tijerina, 31, moved back to the Rio Grande Valley from Missouri about five years ago after she divorced the boys’ father, with whom she shared a volatile relationship.

Then about two years ago, Tijerina and her boys — Nicolas is 8 and Joshua is 7 — moved into a sparsely furnished mobile home in Mission. The neighbors have grown fond of the boys and sometimes will play with the children when they’re outside. Tijerina has family in the area, but much of the rearing is left to her.

Though she receives help from Medicaid to pay for Timothy’s medical bills and sporadic child support from the boys’ father, there’s not much more money available for the family.

Tijerina said she had to quit her job at KFC to take care of the boys because she had no one to take care of them.

Texas WorkFORCE Solutions provided her with a laptop to take online GED classes. She has about a month and a half more in the program before she can take the test for her diploma.

Tijerina is looking forward to pursuing higher education, perhaps in law enforcement, but said she needs to focus on her boys first.

She wakes every morning at about 6, gets the boys ready for school, then cleans the house, makes doctors’ appointments for Timothy and studies for her GED. Nicolas, Joshua and Christopher are avid sports fans and play football, baseball, basketball and soccer. The boy’s trophies in the sports decorate the modest home. They often can be found tossing a football back and forth to one another inside and outside their home.

Tijerina said the boys know that studies come first and if they don’t finish their homework or do poorly in school they can’t play.

A better life

Tijerina’s neighbor, David Reyna, said he met the young woman about two years ago when she worked at KFC. When he heard how she was caring for the boys, especially one who was sick, he wanted to help her.

Reyna, 55, became a sponsor for Timothy through a public health program. He also helps Tijerina by taking the other boys to practice and being a role model for them and their mother.

“Anything she needs help with,” he said, “I just wanted them to have a better life.”

When asked what she wants for Christmas, Tijerina said clothing for her boys and a ramp for Timothy’s wheelchair would be nice, but seeing a smile on their face would be the best gift of all for her.

“They come first. As long as they’re happy, I’m happy.”

Jennifer L. Berghom covers education and general assignments at The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4462.