Raising seven kids is a formidable mission. Doing so as a single mom must be overwhelming. However, nine years ago things became almost unbearably hard for Nickisha when her 9-year old twins were diagnosed with Joubert Syndrome, a rare genetic disease affecting the brain and, in their case, renal function. A few years later, their older brother was diagnosed with this same disorder. All three inevitably experienced kidney failure and require dialysis in order to live.

Nickisha was visiting family in Dallas when her twins first became ill and were diagnosed with kidney failure. Due to their need for care, she remained in Dallas and was unable to return to Kansas where her main support system was located, her life suddenly thrust into a routine of emergency care for her family. For Nickisha, the despair of watching her children suffer and decline, mixed with a neverending schedule of 3-4 hour dialysis visits each week was exhausting in every possible sense.

We were introduced to Nickisha through Methodist Children’s Home, an Advocate relationship built by our sister company in College Station. Shelby and Xixi from MCH were meeting regularly with Nickisha and trying to find ways to help her in her difficult situation. Her vehicle was one of her biggest challenges; it was consistently breaking down, and with 342K miles, had gotten to the point where it wasn’t worth fixing anymore. Having borrowed vehicles, asked for rides, and spent a small fortune on rideshares, Nickisha was at the end of her resources and her kids were starting to miss vital appointments.

MCH’s glowing recommendation of Nickisha - her strength and sacrifice for her kids - stood out as they told her story. Our team came out of the client interview overwhelmingly in favor of giving Nickisha a vehicle, and this time, we were going to need something bigger than a Corolla.

One of the most rewarding parts of being involved with OnRamp is getting to witness other people’s extravagant generosity when they see the needs of their fellow man. In the case of Nickisha, we were blown away by how many people wanted to help when they heard her story. In the words of Nickisha, spoken to us on more than one occasion: “I can’t believe there are people out there who are willing to help someone they don’t even know”. The result of this generosity was our ability to purchase a 2011 Toyota Sienna minivan that has lots of life left, and is big enough to fit her entire family.

*The group gathered on give-away day to bless Nickisha*

When the day of the giveaway came, many of us were excited to have our families join us to bless Nickisha and help her check this item off her list of challenges. Due to the Thanksgiving break, there were literally (our) kids hanging from trees at the Fort Worth tax office! Nickisha’s family also showed up in numbers to celebrate her and share their love. The words of encouragement and blessing for Nickisha were plentiful, and it was the MCH crew who eventually spoke the words we all agreed with: “Nickisha is the strongest and most dedicated mom we’ve ever met”.

Jon gave Nickisha a Bible and explained why we do what we do, that the love of Jesus compels us to love others the way we have been loved. Jackie then prayed over Nickisha, her kids, and for God’s care over her family.

And then it was time to show Nickisha her new ride.

We are so thankful for Nickisha, who has inspired us with her courage and faith, and whose inner strength is fueling her continued fight for her kid’s lives. Please pray for her family, as they have many challenges still ahead of them, including her son who is currently in the ICU.

We are also so thankful for everyone who helped us give this vehicle away, whether by giving generously of their skills and abilities, or by donating toward the purchase of the vehicle and maintenance.

To donate toward Nickisha’s year of free maintenance or toward future clients like Nickisha, please visit this page: www.onrampdfw.org/donate