"The best portion of a good man's life is the little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love." William Wordsworth (1770 - 1850)
				The St. Vincent De Paul Society nominated Renita Fleming and her two boys as Mercury News Wish Book recipients; however, they were not selected.  The good news is that the Christmas Angels is in contact with the Wish Book every year and we have picked them up as this year’s adopted Christmas Family. Renita Fleming is a single mother with two boys: Sammy, age 15, and Andrew, age 14. Renita Fleming is a fighter - and a survivor. As she will tell you, she has to be - for her kids. Renita worked as a nurse, however, in September 2006, she enrolled at San Jose City College to further her education. She learned that she had Hepatitis C and her liver was in stage 4 (after that, the next stage is you're dead, as Renita says). A week into classes she started treatment for her liver and had to stop going. The treatment was a kind of chemotherapy, an experimental treatment. She was on it for 10 1/2 months, and it did improve her liver, bringing it back to stage 2 (1 being normal and healthy). But a couple months before that treatment finished, on Mother's Day 2007, Renita had a major stroke. She was scared she would die and not be able to be there for her kids. She was put on multiple medications. Several weeks after the stroke she had a smaller stroke, called a TIA. It is unlikely that she will be able to go back to work and is now on disability income (about $770/month). She says it is a struggle to make it, but she has a very upbeat, cheerful attitude. She is glad her teenagers are in school. They participate in a sports activity league and after-school activities. They play basketball on an award winning team. She says they are good kids, and tries to reward them from time to time, even if she can't afford it. Once she used a little money designated for the PG&E bill to go to In-N-Out burgers, because she says kid’s good behavior should be encouraged with rewards. She is an inspirational person. She is very committed to family. To raise her kids well and see them make it as responsible adults is the most important thing to her. There is furniture in her apartment now, but she says for one year (she's been in her current apartment two years) they slept on the floor. Renita is in pain most days and tires easily. Even walking to the corner nearby tires her out. Some days she can't get out at all. She is dealing with the after-effects of her two strokes as well as the after-effects of the 10 1/2 months of chemotherapy. Her right side is still weak since the stroke and she has to be careful when she walks, especially on stairs. She is currently in a second floor apartment and it is quite a struggle for her to carry laundry up and down the stairs. The Mercury News Holiday Wish Book is here.
	(We will donate 10% of the above mentioned cost value to the family given here) Email for More details: admin@bangaloretoons.com
	Previous Year’s Family
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