Louise — Finding Her Way Through Difficult Times

Louise grew up in Boston, and moved to South Carolina when she was 23, seeking new opportunities.

“South Carolina was wonderful,” Louise says. “I met my future husband there, and we got married when we were 29. We started our own septic cleaning and drainage business, and we were looking forward to raising a family together.”

Louise continues, “We had been married for about 10 years, when my husband was diagnosed with lung cancer. My mother suggested that we move back to Boston where we could be close to family and to some of the best hospitals in the country.”

Once in Boston, Louise and her husband visited the hospital. “I remember that first chest x-ray,” Louise says. “They found a tumor the size of a grapefruit that was wrapped around his arteries.”

“He received treatment for about three years,” Louise says. “He passed away in July of 2001.”

Following her husband’s death, Louise split her time living at her sister’s, helping care for her sister’s children and at her mother’s. Then tragedy struck again.

“I was still getting over my husband’s death when my mother became sick,” Louise says. “I moved in to become her fulltime caregiver. After she passed away, I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t have a job or the money to be able to afford my own apartment, and I ended up becoming homeless. That’s when I turned to Pine Street Inn for help.”

“I came to the Women’s Inn,” Louise says. “Then I ended up going to stay with family so I wasn’t at the shelter for long. It was a blessing in disguise because I was able to get my name on a list for permanent housing while in the shelter.”

Louise closes, “I’ve lived at my apartment on Green Street for three years. I feel like I’m getting my life back on track, and I’m hopeful for the future.”