- Stories & Testimonials
- People with Disabilities
The last thing Gillian remembered was crossing the street on a green light. When she woke up, she was in the ICU, hooked up to machines and in a body cast. Doctors told her she’d never walk again. “I cried for my mum,” Gillian recalls. “I wasn’t thinking straight. My mother had died years ago in Johannesburg.” After months in the hospital, Gillian tried to get back to her life. “But I couldn’t,” she says. “I was angry, confused, and paralyzed—literally and emotionally. I remember when a friend wheeled me into the JFCS building. I felt at my lowest. I didn’t think anything or anyone could help. I’m glad I was wrong.”
Gillian spent many months talking to therapists at JFCS, recounting the trauma she’d sustained. She recalled the car that turned round the bend too quickly, knocked her to the ground, and sped off. Though there were many witnesses to the accident, the driver was never apprehended, leaving Gillian not only infuriated, but also terrified that the driver could strike again. “I had this recurring dream of fists pummeling my face and body,” she says. “I still have it, though much less frequently.”
With JFCS’ help, Gillian, who is 38, is faring better. “I’d come to San Francisco alone, directly from South Africa after university 15 years ago, and I saw my life as a smorgasbord,” she observes. “I had a great job at a graphics design firm, wonderful friends, an apartment overlooking the park. My life felt shattered after the accident. I couldn’t work, I had to move because I lived in a walk-up, and I felt fragile and helpless. JFCS’ counseling services were amazing. I started off so full of anger and fear. Don’t get me wrong—I am in a wheelchair and I still have days that aren’t so terrific—but now I’m at a place where I feel strong enough to carry on.”
The emotional support Gillian received was coupled with the pragmatic. In addition to helping her find a new home—in a high-rise building with an elevator—her JFCS care manager helped her with a plan to re-establish her independence. JFCS homecare aides also helped her with her daily needs like showering and making meals until she was able to care for herself more on her own.
“I grew up in a close-knit community in Joburg, and my parents were contributors to all of the Jewish institutions there,” say Gillian. “I never realized, until I needed the services myself, just how important it is to support them. By getting through this tragedy, I have not only regained my life, but I have also gained a community.”
If you or someone you care about needs help, contact the JFCS office nearest you >