Our Works of Charity / David Bethuram

Mother’s faith shows ‘God provides—through the hearts of others’

You’ve probably heard the saying, “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” But for many, especially those who feel alone, living through that belief can be incredibly difficult.

About eight years ago, I met a mother named Lysette. This is her story.

Lysette never imagined she’d become one of the people we pass on street corners—asking for help or sleeping on a bench. She once had a comfortable life: a nice house, a reliable car, and what looked like a happy, middle-class existence. But everything changed when she made the courageous decision to leave her marriage and escape a life of physical abuse.

Her husband made certain she was left with nothing but their four children—no money, no car, no home. Still, Lysette was determined to build a better life. She worked three jobs to keep her family afloat.

But when a medical crisis struck, she could no longer work. They lost everything again: the car she had worked so hard to buy, their home and their sense of stability. With only the clothes on their backs and what they could carry, Lysette and her children became homeless. But she refused to lose hope.

After undergoing surgery, Lysette needed bed rest. She spent their last few dollars on one night in a motel, then returned to the streets with her children. What’s truly remarkable is that during the 10 months they lived without shelter, she kept all her children enrolled in school. It wasn’t easy.

Her kids were judged—by classmates and even teachers—for their appearance and lack of grooming. They endured humiliation and health challenges, but Lysette pressed on. She knew she was the only one who could change their circumstances. She once said, “Help is hard to come by because people don’t like ugly and dirty.”

Eventually, Lysette found a job and secured a modest apartment. It wasn’t much, but for the first time in a long while, she could breathe.

Then tragedy struck again. Her oldest son, who initially showed signs of strep throat, suffered a heart attack when the infection spread to his bloodstream. While her older son was fighting for his life, her younger son developed severe breathing issues and was also admitted to the intensive care unit. The medication he’d been prescribed for asthma-like symptoms was not working because his lungs began shutting down.

As both boys battled for survival, Lysette learned that Medicaid wouldn’t cover the treatments they desperately needed. The cost of medications and care exceeded $700 a month. Unable to keep up with car payments, she lost the vehicle. But she didn’t give up. Lysette walked more than 4 miles to work each day, saying, “It takes an awful lot of strength to keep going.”

That’s when I met Lysette. She came to me in desperate need of a car. Just a week earlier, a neighbor had mentioned wanting to donate a vehicle. I told him about Lysette, and he agreed to transfer the title to her—for just one dollar! The car was in good condition and didn’t need major repairs. My neighbor was thrilled to help, and Lysette was overjoyed.

With reliable transportation, Lysette could get to work, and her children could attend school and medical appointments with dignity and energy. She proudly shared that shortly after receiving the car, she was able to take on a second job and drive her oldest son to his final cardiologist appointment. He survived his health scare, and both boys are now doing much better.

Through it all, Lysette’s faith never wavered. She instructed her children, “God did not put you on this Earth to fail.”

Though the road ahead is still long, Lysette believes they’ll make it. She wants my neighbor to know that his generosity changed their lives.

And she hopes others will remember: “Just because you’re struggling doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. God provides—through the hearts of others.”
 

(David Bethuram is executive director of the archdiocesan Secretariat for Catholic Charities. You can contact him at dbethuram@archindy.org.) †