| It had been a particularly daunting day as a new | | | | ride to $5.00 bandages. It was overwhelming. |
| trainee customer service representative of a | | | | The phone started ringing with collection calls two |
| company with a bad product and lots of vocal | | | | weeks later. The stress was rising on a daily basis. |
| complaints. Many asked to talk to the supervisor | | | | It was bad enough to get stabbed and lose work, |
| and after the turn over, the supervisor chided | | | | but now this with a mountain of medical bills was |
| Lucile about being stronger on the phone. Lucille | | | | almost too much for Lucille Marie to handle. |
| Marie collected a stow of cash she had set aside | | | | Before the stabbing, Lucille Marie had been |
| at home so that she could stop after work and | | | | attending home buying seminars offered by the |
| get a cake, party favors, gift and food for her | | | | local Community Development program. She had |
| five year old daughter's birthday celebration with | | | | been working on some credit issues to raise her |
| ten invited guests. With this all flashing through | | | | credit scores to qualify for a First Time |
| Lucile Marie she said out loud "Hell No!" and | | | | Homebuyer Program which would involve getting |
| stomped on the assailant's foot with her left high | | | | a push for closing costs and down payment. The |
| heel. Simultaneously, she and spun while striking | | | | new job was thought to be a continuation of the |
| with her left elbow catching the would be thief in | | | | same line of work so that her new employment |
| the face to free herself but then felt a sharp pain | | | | would qualify her for the loan. She had been |
| in her left side stomach area. She began | | | | getting close to owning her own home. |
| screaming at the top of her lungs and her | | | | Lucille Marie had been avoiding the phone with all |
| attacker fled and limped away without her purse. | | | | the "gut" calls coming in from collection agencies |
| Lucille Marie grabbed her side with the realization | | | | but this time as she was listening to her |
| that she had been stabbed and had a lot of blood | | | | answering machine it was Gail from Community |
| covering her clothes and hands. A passerby had | | | | Development following up to check progress on |
| heard the blood curdling screams and rushed over | | | | her quest to buy a home. Lucille Marie shared her |
| to see what was going on. Lucile Marie told him | | | | recent story with Gail. Gail asked if a police report |
| what had happened and that she needed | | | | had been filed. Lucille Marie told that it had and she |
| immediate attention. Using his cell phone he called | | | | had a copy of it. Gail asked if she could bring in |
| 911 and soon the police and an ambulance arrived. | | | | the police report and all the outstanding medical |
| The attack had lasted all of 15 seconds. | | | | bills. Gail was well acquainted with all the ins and |
| Rushing by ambulance to a hospital the | | | | outs of credit matters. Many of her applicants had |
| paramedics had stabilized the bleeding through | | | | to deal with credit challenges by getting them |
| temporary compression but surgery would be | | | | handled by paying in full or settling for less than |
| needed. Lucille Marie was awake and inquired | | | | owned before qualifying for a mortgage loan. Gail |
| where she was being taken. The paramedics | | | | was on a first name basis with one of the local |
| mentioned that they were taking her to a nearby | | | | credit bureaus that acted for one of the big three |
| hospital. Lucille Marie shared that due to her short | | | | credit reporting agencies. Sue hearing Gail's shared |
| term on her new job she had no insurance and | | | | story mentioned the existence of the Special |
| needed to go to the County Hospital. The | | | | Violent Crime Victim's Recovery Fund, which |
| ambulance made a U-turn and headed for the | | | | would pay up to $25,000.00 for losses. A few |
| other hospital. Reality raises its head. This took | | | | states have this program while many do not. The |
| another 10 minutes to arrive at the County | | | | paper work alone is daunting for the average |
| Hospital, which would take in "indigent" care | | | | citizen. It takes a lot of time and effort to even |
| patients with taxpayer support. Going right into | | | | cut through the maze. Fortunately, Sue was |
| emergency surgery, Lucille Marie was operated on | | | | keenly aware of all the shortcuts necessary to |
| to repair the knife wound, which missed a lot of | | | | successfully file an application and it proved yet |
| vital areas. Lucille Marie spent two hours in | | | | another way to collect money for the credit |
| recovery stitches and sutures on her left side and | | | | bureau's clients. Armed with the police report of |
| tubes and such coming out from under the sheet. | | | | the stabbing and all the owed bills Sue filed the |
| Lucille Marie was admitted to a two-bed hospital | | | | required application and completed all the paper |
| room for treatment, monitoring and care. Lucile | | | | work. |
| Marie, still a little groggy, was able to get her | | | | It took about 45 days, but Sue was successful in |
| hands on a phone and speak with her daughter. | | | | getting an award sufficient to pay all the medical |
| Her daughter told her, sans cake, she was coming | | | | bills and not only that, she negotiated the |
| to the hospital with group to see her. A tear | | | | expunging the entire collection record as if it |
| welled up in her eye. This was not the birthday | | | | never happened. Lucille Marie's credit record was |
| party Lucile Marie had envisioned for her daughter. | | | | made whole again. The collection calls stopped and |
| Before the daughter, Tammy, arrived the police | | | | they were looking at houses to buy with Gail's |
| took a statement and a description of the | | | | help and counsel. The Realtor negotiated an |
| assailant and filed a police report. The police | | | | affordable home with the seller paying most of |
| shared that resisting an attack can lead to such | | | | the closing cost and prepaids with Community |
| an injury. It was also discussed that there had | | | | Development contributing a $15,000 second |
| been a man who was working the area using | | | | mortgage with low interest only payments which |
| strong-armed robbery tactics and they were | | | | would be forgiven if Lucille Marie stayed in the |
| diligently looking to capture this dude. This was the | | | | home for five years. It was a life interrupted but |
| first life threatening assault among all the victims. | | | | now was back on track. Tammy's next birthday |
| The police emphasized it was important to get | | | | party gave Lucille Marie an opportunity to |
| this perpetrator off the streets and soon. | | | | celebrate life and for a moment think about what |
| Several months had now passed. Lucille Marie was | | | | happened to change her life in fifteen seconds. |
| back working after missing a week of work and | | | | Tammy's birthday would always have a double |
| was learning all the nuances of the customer | | | | meaning. Lucille Marie felt blessed. |
| service business with the daily interactions with | | | | A week later, Lucille Marie received a call from the |
| her supervisor. She was getting better at handling | | | | officer who had taken the police report of her |
| the calls without intervention. Management was | | | | stabbing indicating at long last they had stopped |
| now more willing to settle issues with cash | | | | the perpetrator in yet another in progress strong |
| rebates and credit which made the job a lot | | | | arm robbery attempt. In this instance, an |
| easier while offering a much-improved product. | | | | undercover cop returned fire and shot him dead |
| As Lucile Marie checked her mailbox after work, | | | | when he resisted arrest while holding a pistol. It |
| she had a stack of letters with medical related | | | | seemed he had moved up to a more lethal |
| notations on the return address. Lucille Marie knew | | | | weapon while trying to support a big drug habit. |
| the shoe was going to drop. She was very | | | | He had a long prison record and had violated |
| surprised that it took this long. Slowly opening | | | | parole. Lucille Marie considered herself lucky once |
| each one and carefully stacking up the hospital | | | | again and blessed at the same time as she |
| medical bills all centered on the knife attack; Lucille | | | | peered out the window of her new home. |
| Marie put her head down and sighed. Using a small | | | | Tammy was close by and she received an |
| calculator, the bills were totaled and it came up to | | | | unexpected hug from her mom. |
| just under $24,000.00. From the $500 ambulance | | | | |