For Tanjanika Robertson, simply having hardwood floors and a driveway nearby made a world of difference to her family. Her son Myles is now in a wheelchair and facing amputation of his right leg after battling Chondrasarcoma since 2013. He was diagnosed at age 19 after returning from his freshman year at Oakwood University in Alabama.
After nine surgeries over the course of five years, Myles was slowly deteriorating. Tanjanika moved the family from a small, two-bedroom apartment on the second floor to a one-story home with wood floors, allowing for easier mobility as she cared for Myles. Yet his condition made it difficult for her to work steadily.
“I took so much time to care for him that I lost my job,” said Tanjanika. “Now he can walk just enough to make it to the door, maybe a few feet, but the illness has really left him deteriorated.”
The family was directed to New Day through their social worker at Beaumont Hospital last fall. Since then, New Day has stepped in to help with rent payments, food gift cards and gas cards to get to and from their home in Taylor to the hospital in Royal Oak.
“It brought me rest and peace,” added Tanjanika. “I was able to work a little part time, but when I lost that, New Day stepped in. It took a lot a pressure off of me, and it helped me to be able to focus on him. It smoothed things over, I didn’t have to worry about how we were going to make it.”
Last November, Myles was in the hospital for a month. Afterward he received a brace and a wheelchair, which Tanjanika is in the process of installing a ramp for at the home she is renting. Once Myles’ leg is amputated, the ramp and all the house’s amenities will become that much more important.
“It has been a blessing to come through we were really in a bind,” she said of the support from New Day. “We needed this place. Now I have a driveway where we are close to our home.”