Editor’s note: The names mentioned in this story have been
changed to protect their privacy.

One family who has helped over the years with the ELF (Era’s
Less Fortunate) Fund have been struck with medical problems and are
in need of the ELF Fund this year to have a merry Christmas.

Todd Black and his sister Marie Black were struck with
illnesses, leaving their entire household, including Todd Black’s
wife, Leah, and 16-year-old daughter, Lynn, in financial
trouble.

Todd Black was working when he got sick about a year ago. He was
diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, a rare muscular disease that
affects one whole side of his body.

He can’t leave the house, and he’s not able to eat or dress
himself. He had to quit working in January and was denied
disability three times. His wife said he has to go to another
doctor because his disease is so rare that “no one’s heard of it.
The doctors don’t know how to handle it because it hit him so
hard,” she said.

During the first week of June, Marie Black had back pain and
went to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
She spent two weeks in a Pittsburgh hospital and took a medical
leave from her job when she started chemotherapy in August. In
addition to about $50,000 in chemotherapy costs, she also has to
pay for the medicine that she needs.

Leah Black said they have lost their insurance and can’t finish
paying for her daughter’s braces.

Leah Black is the only one now working in a house of four. She
makes about $800 a month working part time so she’s home at night
to help out, and it’s not enough to make their house and gas
payments. She said all the money they have for food for a month
comes from food stamps.

“It feels like we’re drowning in debt,” she said with tears in
her eyes. “We went from – well, not being rich – but being able to
afford things to not being able to afford the basics of life. We
have money for nothing extra. Without the ELF Fund, there’d be no
Christmas.”

Leah Black has to rely on her daughter for a lot of help.

“We depend on her to do a lot of the housework and cooking. She
has to help her dad a lot,” Leah Black said with tears running down
her face. “Anything I ask her to do she does and doesn’t
complain.”

The family has worked at the Salvation Army food bank for many
years and has helped out with the ELF Fund in the past, and this
year they’ll get back a little bit of what they’ve given.

“I’ve been there since the first day it started,” Leah Black
said. “It’s ironic. It’s been a little hard not being able to
help.”

She said they’re still out there trying to help people. Just
last week, she and her daughter delivered turkeys for
Thanksgiving.

“It’s in our blood, I guess,” she said. “We believe strongly
that when you do things for others, it comes back. You tend to
forget about your problems when you’re out there helping
others.”

So far, they have gotten back some of what they’ve given. The
family has gotten cards with money from $10 to $200 from people
they know.

“The people in the community were just awesome,” Leah Black
said. “Without our church, we don’t know where we’d be. Our pastor
has gone way out of his way to help us. A lot of people in our
church family and friends have gone above and beyond the call of
duty. When your chips are down, you find out who your friends
are.”

But even though the family has gotten help, they’re still having
trouble.

“We need money just for needs like toilet paper or laundry
soap,” Leah Black said.

Lynn Black used to have a piano, but they had to get rid of it
to make room for a hospital bed for her father. For Christmas, she
would like a keyboard if possible. She would also like a Game Cube
or Playstation 2, a stereo and a laptop computer, if it’s possible.
She and her mother would also like YMCA memberships.

Leah Black would like a gift card from the Fashion Bug. Marie
Black could use a wheelchair. Todd Black would like a Wal-Mart gift
card and could use an electric wheelchair so he can get out of the
house.

The family would also like DVDs if possible because they can’t
even rent movies. They said they like comedies or family-oriented
movies – nothing violent or R-rated. Some suggestions of DVDs they
would like include “The Pacifier,” “The Sisterhood of the Traveling
Pants,” “The Perfect Man,” “Fever Pitch” and the box sets of Season
four and five of “The Gilmore Girls.”

The family also would like a contractor, if possible, because
they need their stairs fixed or a ramp put in. They have broken
windows and need new doors. They need a furnace replaced and need
electrical work done in the house since the electrical system is
old.