The car accident that led to a food pantry, a free WIFI spot, and free children's books

Over the past 25+ years my husband has had recurring brain tumors. The first two were pituitary tumors. After the second surgery he underwent six weeks of daily radiation 20 years ago.  The third tumor in 2017 was a massive meningioma which caused a 5 minute + seizure while bathing in our garden tub. He would have drowned had I not heard his legs thrashing against a bath-side shelf. The neurosurgeon thinks that was caused by the extensive radiation. The third surgery left a 9 inch scar that time. 

When two meningiomas showed up last year, he had a radiation treatment. In the past 20 years, doctors have found safer, less invasive methods than his earlier radiation. Unfortunately, only one of the recent tumors died and the second larger tumor seems to have persisted. The swelling from that tumor is believed to have caused his second seizure. Over the next few months he'll have more MRIs, stay on anti-convulsants, and we'll just have to wait and see what we can afford to do next.

This time he was on the Athens perimeter driving when he had his second seizure. An off duty ambulance was behind him at the time. They saw him go into seizure and lose control of the vehicle. Our car was stopped when he hit the wire and stake system between the opposing lanes. Fortunately, no other cars or people were injured. The ambulance drivers called for a local ambulance as they had to return to their county. But when they approached, they watched as he continued to seize. They were able to get through the window to assist. The other ambulance and police were quickly on scene and he was taken to the Athens Regional Piedmont ER and then admitted for several days. As this was at the peak of the pandemic, he was alone the entire time in the hospital. When he returned home, we were quarantined as a precaution. 

It's been a tough month. But during that quarantine time, Lance saw a PBS NewsHour piece on how Little Free Libraries were being using as food pantries now. I took the idea to Mary Nouri who owns #3 Railroad St since she has a Little Free Library. We decided the keep the library for its purpose and use the Front Porch at #3 Railroad Street to establish a food pantry. When she reached out to the school system to get word out about the free food, they mentioned two other needs : books and WIFI hotspots for our large rural county. She set up free WIFI at #3 and I contacted Leslie Hale at Books For Keeps and arranged for a donation of hundreds of books. We received enough books to set up a bookshelf on the Front Porch at #3 Railroad Street. We have enough books left over to top off the Little Library system around our county starting with the one next door to #3 RR Street.

I have two and half more boxes to deliver around the county hopefully this weekend. Extra driving is something I save for the weekends. With the seizure, Lance can't legally drive for 6 months. Since our insurance is through his job and holding onto a job is more important than ever, he has to keep working. His one way trip to Duluth is 65 miles. His 130 mile nightly commute is now my 260 mile commute driving him in and back each night. I sleep about 5 hours between nightly driving shifts. 3 days of his work week I drive another 80 miles for work between me and my son. With all the medical bills, despite insurance, we are down to sharing one car for the past two years. 

Most days I jokingly ask myself if I ran over a gypsy's cat or caravan and became cursed. But out of something bad, something good has happened.

The Little Free Library at No 3 Railroad St. restocked with half a shelf of children's books

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A small shelf unit with free children's books set up beside the free pantry. Children may borrow books or keep them.

Before I restocked the Free Little Library at Bryan Park in Crawford, GA, Oglethorpe County, GA, it was messy and had room for an additional 40+ children's books ranging from board books to chapter books.

After the Little Free Library at Bryan Park was restocked with books from Books For Keeps

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. --Margaret Mead

The accident