Final day for donations to '12 days' families

A pile of medical bills, constant fatigue and a family full of hope defines the life of Ruth Mendoza.

The mother of two suffers from a life-threatening disease that calls for monthly blood transfusions. She hasn’t been able to afford one since August. The lack of monetary support also causes her to forego the medication that controls the symptoms of aplastic anemia.

That glimpse into the daily life of Mendoza and others were featured in The Monitor’s annual 12 Days of Christmas series. Mendoza, 34, of Pharr, wants nothing more than for her children to be happy. Other families featured share the same sentiment.

Prayers, hope and strength are most commonly what families have asked for this Christmas season, but many need much more.

In Mendoza’s case, she needs a bone marrow transplant, help with medical expenses and clothes for her children.

On the other side of the city, a young boy is badgered by the symptoms of muscular dystrophy. The disease limits Adolfo Morhaim, 15, of Pharr, from being able to move freely.

However, his single mother does her best to care for her son and five other children. They all pitch in to help their brother cope with the disease.

The family is in desperate need of a new home or upgrades that provide accessibility for Adolfo’s wheel-chair.

Another family featured in the series also needs a home. The six ladies of the Calderon family make the best of their two bedroom trailer in Mission, which continues to deteriorate every day.

Simple luxuries, like cookies or Cheetos, are scarce in the home of the four young girls. They are lucky if they can make their state food assistance last the entire month. Yolanda Calderon, 36, struggles to make ends meet and cannot afford to fix their home where bed sheets serve as doors.

The decrepit trailer is sinking, forcing Calderon to use the brake on her wheelchair whenever she wishes to stay in one place.

And while the girls wish for a better home, they are thankful for what they do have. Compare that with the Vega family — who have nothing to call home. The 10 members of the family found themselves left with ash-covered pieces of a life after a fire ripped through their Edinburg house.

They need the essentials — clothing, shoes and shelter. However, all of the family members made it out of the home unscathed and thankful to have one another.

Herminio Garza’s family isn’t as fortunate. His wife and four children have only photographs of him now. Garza lost a battle with brain cancer earlier this year leaving his family to scrape for the necessities such as food and health care. And there’s the case of Ulisses Cavazos, a 7-year-old Edinburg boy, who continues his own battle with brain cancer that has spread throughout his body.

Monetary donations have been significantly slow this year compared to other years — leaving each family to remain in financial crisis this holiday season, local United Way officials said.

Furniture, televisions and bicycles have been the most donated items this year — not the necessities such as help with home repairs or monetary support for medical bills and prescriptions, Amelia Rojas of the United Way said.

“These donors come in and give with all their hearts to these families,” she said. “And this makes Christmases (something special) for the families that don’t have anything.”

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Lindsay Machak covers business and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4462.