Jerry’s disability struck him suddenly. “I was just like everyone else. I was working, I was in my 40s, I was living in Harlem… I was working at Jamaica High School, and also as a bouncer.” One night, walking home from the club at which he worked, he felt a weakness in his legs. A few days later, he was unable to continue going to work. Jerry soon discovered he had Multiple Sclerosis and his situation quickly deteriorated.

“I went through the homeless shelters, I went through nursing homes, I went through hospitals, and I even went through staying in the street at times.  The nursing homes have a lot of problems and they’re disrespectful. They stereotype you like you’re ignorant, or like you can’t take care of yourself.” Clearly, nursing homes were not right for Jerry, who needed more independence than they gave him.

Jerry was ultimately able to find a permanent place of residence at E 99th St. “A hospital’s social worker told me about this program to get into the building. “It is a beautiful place, it’s an experiment in integrating people back into the community, and honestly the people that view it in a positive way are succeeding.” Su questo sito web Aumentare ascolti italiani – nel 2022 è possibile

Jerry came to Wheeling Forward when his regular wheelchair vendor refused to fix it for many months. Jerry came to the Axis Project, a health and wellness center operated by Wheeling Forward, and was able to get his wheelchair repaired, so he can be mobile again. “With Alex and other people, my life looks like it’s going towards a better direction. I would like to help volunteer with others because now my life turned around; I have a stable place and I have a good setup. I would like to help others do the same.”