Mario’s Bones are Broken, but His Spirit is Not

Introduction
Mario was born in East L A and grew up in Whittier. His parents worked hard and provided a good home for him and his brother and sister. Mario finished high school and attended some college. He worked many different jobs over the years. 

Challenges
Mario has had some stretches of homelessness since 2016 that he attributes to some lapses in judgement on his part. Mario was working at a seafood place and renting a room. He had just got paid, got a haircut and paid his rent the day before his tragic accident. 

“I made a wrong choice. I thought I could get down from a ledge. I fell and have a compression fracture in my back and both of my heels were fractured,” says Mario. He was left wondering what kind of quality of life he would have in the future. Would he be able to stand or walk again? 

Harbor Care
When Mario showed up at Harbor Care, his main concern was the restroom. Could he make it there? He was still getting used to life in a wheelchair. He was relieved to see everything was handicap accessible and was able to maneuver his wheelchair with no problems. 

“The food is great, and the people are nice. But the biggest blessing is transportation. I didn’t know how I would get to my appointments. I can’t walk. My back is broken. That gave me great peace of mind that it would be taken care of,” recalled Mario.

The Harbor Care case managers have helped Mario maneuver the medical system and make it to all his appointments on time. “This is a good place to come to get back on track and get healed,” says Mario. 

Mario still has a long road ahead of him, but he is making great progress in his recovery. He is now able to stand on his own and is looking forward to walking without any assistive device.