LIMA — The seizures started when Marcus was seven months old.
The episodes were brief but troubling: Marcus’s body would suddenly become stiff, causing him to drop food and spill drinks until he regained muscle strength, often within 15 to 20 seconds.
“His drink and everything just dropped like his face,” said his mother, Maria. “They call that drop seizures.”
Marcus, 4, was eventually diagnosed with two types of seizures, after which came the regular trips to see his neurologist in Dayton and the medications that control his episodes but also make him hyper.
“It puts you through a test,” Maria said. “The traveling and being in the hospital and the ambulance. You have to call the ambulance every time. That’s hard. All that’s just hard. How do you not, you know? You’re going to lose your baby. That’s all you can think about.”
Maria and her children, whose names have been changed to protect their privacy, are one of hundreds of families who registered for the Salvation Army’s Adopt a Stocking Fund, which provides meals and gifts to needy families for the holidays.
Maria became a single mother when she was 18 years old.
She purchased a small plot of land at a trailer park, ensuring that her children would always have a home even if Maria couldn’t afford much else. She’s now raising three children — Jessica, 15; Aaron, 13; and Marcus, 4 — without the help of her parents, who died years earlier.
“I’ve never been homeless,” Maria said. “I’ve always had a house for my kids. I’ve always provided for my kids. I give my kids everything that I have easily.”
Maria doesn’t want much for Christmas, just enough to take Marcus’s mind off his medical troubles, especially after the boy was sick from RSV for weeks this fall. And Marcus isn’t picky, Maria said.
For clothing, Jessica wears size eight pants and large shirts; Aaron wears size 14-16 clothing and Marcus wears size 7-8 in boy’s clothing. Jessica likes makeup, while Aaron likes PlayStation 4 games.
ADOPT A STOCKING
The Adopt a Stocking Fund benefits families during the holiday season. Monetary donations can be given online at give.salvationarmy.org/stocking or via Adopt A Stocking; c/o The Salvation Army; P.O. Box 234, Lima, OH 45801. All material donations for a specific family should be dropped off at The Salvation Army, 614 E. Market St., Lima, and should include a copy of the article or the date the story appeared in The Lima News. See past stories at LimaOhio.com/tag/stocking.
