Be There, Be Helpful In Their Time Of Need

News reports inform the public of the victims of random crimes: people who are burglarized, robbed, injured in hit-and-run accidents, raped or shot by criminals. These people just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

That is where the story ends for those of us who read the paper or listen to news on television as we sit in warm homes sipping cups of coffee. Thoughts of the victim fade from our minds.

Unfortunately, for the victims, the story has just begun. There can be years of struggle to heal injuries, to pay bills incurred because of the crime, emotional trauma, or trying to cope with loss. Lives are altered, not just for the victims but also for their families.

A teenager, without a driver’s license, driving a stolen car, jumps the curb, hitting an elderly woman standing at a bus stop. The woman is raised into the air and flips over the car hood. When she hits the ground, the car drives on, leaving her lying in the street.

The woman, after having surgery to set the bones in her legs with rods, is now in a wheelchair. Her two-story house must be altered to include a ramp and a downstairs bathroom. She needs someone to help her in and out of bed, to help her dress, use the bathroom, to prepare her meals, and to be on hand 24 hours a day.

She has only Medicare to pay for the hospital, the rehabilitation center, visiting nurses, physical therapists and doctors. The teenager had no insurance. His parents could be sued for $3,000, but it would cost more than that to get it through the courts.

What happens to crime victims after the story has been reported? How does a young parent who is paralyzed from the neck down continue to care for his or her children? What happens to the young man who has no insurance and is hit by a hit-and-run driver?

When a father is killed, how does a mother afford to raise their children? How does a parent survive the senseless killing of a child? Their stories go on. My mother’s certainly has.

Fortunately for my mother, she has 10 children who have talked to doctors and therapists to ensure that she is given prompt medical care. We have looked into coverage by Medicare and completed all the paperwork that needed to be done.

We have talked to lawyers. Her sons put in the ramp and the bathroom. Her youngest daughter moved home with three children to provide round-the-clock care. We are paying for the house remodeling and any bills Medicare doesn’t cover.

When you hear or read reports of crime victims, you might think beyond that day. A home-cooked meal or a trip to the grocery, or changing the sheets on the bed, or a donation of time or money could be a big help to someone. When the person must go to the doctor, offer to go along or to help fill out forms or make out checks.

What is reported in a 45-second news story can stretch into years of struggle for the victim of a crime.