SLIDELL, La. -- Karen Pettit of Slidell has has been an auto dealership manager, professional singer, and artist, but will never forget working for the host of the Tonight Show at age 21.
"I worked for Johnny Carson."
But Karen has not been able to work since 2003, when she began feeling the effects of a series of major health problems that could have killed her, from hepatitis C to diabetes, and now dystonia, which turned her bedroom into a hospital room, and severely affects her speech and ability to walk.
"I'm a communicator, and I can't speak effectively. When I was trying to find help, people would hang up on me on the phone because they were impatient with my speech."
"It's hard to just watch your wife go through something like this," said her husband Ron, as he choked back tears. How tough has she been? "A lot tougher than I could be."
When her husband Ron lost his job a few months ago, they fell behind on the mortgage; foreclosure happened, and they are about to be evicted. Karen is packing, but she could be homeless.
"At one point I asked him to pick something up for me," Karen said, "and he let me know we had $5 dollars in our account."
She searched desperately for help, finding a federal Housing and Urban Development program designed for those with disabilities. But she said the local HUD office told her they decided not to participate in it.
"And I said it's got to be hard for you to be able to tell people you know that are very needy, and he said doesn't bother me at all."
And that's when Karen Pettit e-mailed the Action Line, and I got in touch with federal HUD officials in Washington, asked them to take another look at this situation to see what could be done to help the Pettits keep their home.
"And I got a phone call the next day, Mr. Capo, after I wrote you. No one was calling me back, trust me. I got the phone calls from two people in Washington, D.C."
But in the meantime, I contacted the attorney who is handling the foreclosure. She told me the house actually belongs to HUD, and will be turned back to the agency when the eviction is completed. Well, I got back in touch with HUD officials in Washington, and asked them to see if they could stop the eviction, keep the Pettits here. And when the couple heard that is being considered, they were overjoyed.
"That would be, that would be amazing," Karen said as her eyes went wide, and she grabbed Ron's hand.
They know it is a long shot, but it gave them something to hope for. Also, HUD officials put them in touch with a state housing specialist who is trying to help them.
"We have a God-based marriage, and that is what gets us through, and I'm confident that God will provide."
I'll let you know what happens.
