Client with Chronic Illness Finds Shelter with Help of SNAP, Community
“I was the runt of my family,” laughed Darin. “So I learned to be tougher and stronger.”
Darin’s friendly attitude belies the chronic pain that runs through his body. When he was young, he used his body to help others. First, he signed up right when he turned eighteen to serve in the US Air Force. Then, at twenty-three, he moved to Spokane and studied Fire Science at SCC. For the next four years, he gave body and soul serving for the Morgan Acres Fire Department.
As a nozzleman for the Fire Department, Darin’s 145lb frame was responsible for not only carrying 140lbs of equipment, but also directing the strong pressure coming from the fire hose. In this role, he performed as ably as other firefighters more than twice his size.
“I was a bulldog,” says Darin. “I had to give what I had and overwork to do the same work as everyone else.”
Darin’s selfless labor came at a cost, however. Now nearly sixty, Darin lives in chronic pain as a result of injuries sustained during his time as a firefighter. He had a career-ending back injury, the effects of which continue to marvel doctors at his ability to walk and move. Soon after he left the hospital following his back injury, he sustained a catastrophic head injury after being hit by a railroad tie. Now, in addition to chronic pain, Darin also struggles with short-term memory loss, epilepsy, and a brain with hemispheres that operate independently of one another. The traumatic brain injury Darin sustained left doctors baffled that he’s even able to speak.
“The neurologist looked at my brain scan and thought I’d be wheeled in,” says Darin. “But I was so gung ho on getting up each morning and moving on that I taught myself how to breathe again. I taught myself how to speak. I taught myself how to walk.”
However, Darin can be defined by his fighting spirit. Although the injuries mentioned barely scratch the surface of what Darin has endured, over the nearly 30 years that he’s suffered these painful injuries, he has never given up – even when he was diagnosed with cancer. When Darin learned he had cancer, he was staying in California with his sister, but he knew he needed to be in Spokane to fight his illness. In Spokane, he had his full medical team, which his experience in California simply could not match.
He expected to buy a property in Spokane, but it was so hard to find – especially with banks expecting 20-30% down. He tried finding apartments instead – again to no avail. During this time, he bounced between living in his truck or couch surfing with friends… but he was tired, and with finances dwindling, he nearly had to sell his truck.
“I was at my last straw. I couldn’t do it anymore,” explains Darin. “I knew how close I was to being one of the people you see on the streets. I wouldn’t have survived.”
It was then that Darin’s son-in-law suggested he reach out to SNAP. Darin is much more comfortable providing help to others than receiving it, but he knew he had to “swallow [his] pride” to ask for help. He had received SNAP energy assistance in his younger years, while raising his four children. Still, receiving homeless services was a new experience.
“Rachel at Homeless Services changed everything,” says Darin. He went onto explain that Rachel connected him to Goodwill, which had a program specifically designed to help veterans like him. She then helped him navigate the system and complete the overwhelming paperwork “It snowballed from there,” says Darin. “Everyone was like ‘we can help you, we can help you, we can help you!’ It was like a dream.”
Now, Darin is housed for the first time in several years. His cancer is in remission, and he is able to rest his body more as he continues to recover and live with his chronic pain. Since moving to his new unit, he has taken on hobby of gardening – a hobby his landlords appreciate! In addition, Darin finds joy as a writer. His poetry has earned national and international acclaim, and he continues to write nearly every day. In fact, after 15 years, Darin is nearly finished with his magnum opus – a fictional trilogy.
“Everybody has to do something,” says Darin. “It’s important to me that I be a force of positivity in this world.”
Darin’s journey is one of community. He’s someone who perseveres, and he gives of himself to others. When it came time to accept help, he showed strength through vulnerability and allowed SNAP to do what it does best: Serve with dignity and respect. Ultimately, this was a community solution; Goodwill provided the final support needed to get Darin comfortably housed. This is the type of impact we see when deserving clients like Darin reach out, and we can work with our neighbors and partners to help our clients reach their full potential.
Support from SNAP helped get Darin pointed in the right direction so he could find stable housing while he fights chronic illnesses.
Generosity from community members like you allow us to serve more neighbors. Please consider a donation to SNAP!