South Jersey Community Comes Together To Help Family In Need
By Matt Rivers
SICKLERVILLE, N.J., (CBS) – A South Jersey community comes together to help a family in need.
Over the past year, they suffered two devastating losses.
First, a fire destroyed their home.
Then, a relative who took them in after that fire, died.
Sometimes bad things happen to good people. And sometimes the hits keep coming.
"The big guy gives us only what we can handle so I've had enough, I can only handle so much."
The worst year of Louis DePalma's life started last July when an electrical outlet sparked and his home burned down.
"We just sat outside, with nothing to do. Just totally lost," said DePalma.
His family moved into this trailer -- wife Lisa, and sons Giovanni and Dante, who is autistic. His father, a carpenter, was rebuilding their home. All was ok until his father's cancer spread.
"Four weeks from there he passed away February 27th," said DePalma.
The rebuild was stalled and a funeral held. Lisa wasn't feeling well and didn't go.
And when the family got home from the services, Lisa had gotten worse. She'd put off going to the doctor's for a few days and by then a simple infection had spread to her lungs. She was rushed to the hospital where she remains on life support. And the prognosis isn't good.
"Right now they're giving her a ten percent recovery rate. And I haven't really told the kids yet. They just can't take it. They've been through enough."
To top it all off, the lease on their trailer runs out on April 15th. They've got no place to go. The former firefighter is on disability and can't work.
That's where these guys come in, just friends and neighbors who heard about the trouble and stepped in. They're working non-stop to finish the house.
"I would hope somebody would help me if I was in need."
That help allows them to keep an attitude like this.
"You ask, why us? But everybody has to deal with some stuff in their life," said DePalma.
Even if some are dealt a tougher hand than most.
