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Erica – Caring for Dad, Incurring Debt

When I first got the call from my dad that he was ill and needed my assistance in caring for himself, I was a full-time employee with benefits. The catch is, I was in Atlanta and my dad was in Ohio. That meant relocating to another city. What I thought was fortunate about my situation was that I could transfer through the same company and still be employed with benefits and care for my ill father. I’d been there for eight years and three months. But when I transferred to Ohio, I lost not only my full-time status, but my title, seniority, pay, and more importantly, any paid time off or eligibility to use family medical leave.

My dad had dialysis three days a week and doctor appointments on the other days. I wound up working part-time for two companies; neither gave me any paid sick days or medical leave. I cared for my dad and young daughter during the day and worked in the evening and overnight. My dad became extremely ill and needed around-the-clock care. I could not afford to hire a nurse, and had no paid time off to try and figure out a plan. He ended up going into a coma and into intensive care. Of course, I wanted to spend as much time with him as I could, so I had to make the decision to take the time and receive no pay at all.

Three weeks later, my father passed. I was devastated and heartbroken. Before I knew it, I had gone five weeks without pay, with a small child, part-time employment and no benefits. If only I had paid family medical leave, I wouldn’t have become behind on all my bills. It has taken a long time to regroup and catch up from the debt.

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