GOOD-NEWS
'I just couldn't believe it': How Crossroads helped this single mother find a home for Christmas
Providence Journal
Leaving lead poisoning, domestic abuse behind
The last few years have been an odyssey for Davis. The family bounced from apartment to apartment in Woonsocket after discovering the children were experiencing lead poisoning. At another location, there was a pest infestation.
All the while, Davis was extracting herself from 16 years of domestic abuse at the hands of an ex-husband who left her with bruises and broken ribs. When the family became homeless, she secured hotel rooms in Attleboro by donating plasma, selling the kidsâ toys for cash and delivering DoorDash. She found meals in food kitchens. On days when a hotel wasnât an option, the family stayed in the car, with Davis cooking on a hot plate.
âWe went through a lot,â Davis said. âWeâd figure it out day by day.â
Davis maintained a steely face, getting the children to Woonsocket Public Schools, only to get calls to come pick them up due to their special needs. The children are developmentally delayed as a result of the lead poisoning and Kinzel, 8, is nonverbal and diagnosed on the autism spectrum, she said.
âI couldnât let them know what was going on,â Davis said.
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