Krystina's Covid-19 Financial Recovery Program Success Story
4/7/2021
Read Krystina's financial counseling story
I'm a single mother of three. My older daughter just started college to be a biomedical engineer. My eight-year-old son suffers from some medical conditions, as do I and I've been taking good care of myself for the sake of my kids. I was able to get into medical school in 2016 and became certified in four different areas. After I finished medical school, I worked as a phlebotomist at Labcorp. I just started a new job running my own lab for a family practice office.
How have you been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic?
In March 2020, I became ill and was out of work for over a month. I had every symptom of COVID and, since I worked at Labcorp, I thought I was easily exposed to the virus. After three negative COVID tests, I went to the hospital and found out that I actually had Mono. While I was sick, my grandmother, whom I had been living with and caring for the past ten years, had a stroke. She went to the hospital and stayed for three weeks before going to rehab. After a few days in rehab, she started showing symptoms of COVID, and tested positive. She stayed in rehab, but there wasn't much they could do for her while she was positive. At the same time, my other grandmother also tested positive for COVID and unfortunately she passed away.
When my grandmother was released from rehab, between COVID and the stroke, she had become immobile. It was way too hard for my mother and I to care of my grandmother at this point and I had no choice but to put her into long term care. We could no longer afford the home that we lived in without her income as she shared the household bills.
I had been working on fixing my credit for a while and was able to find a place really quickly for my son and I. Things were finally looking up and they always say sometimes you need something horrible to happen to make good things happen. I had been taking care of my family my whole adult life and it was time for me to focus on just myself and my kids. Even though my family was devastated because of COVID, somehow it ended up being the best year for me. Not only did I finally get to move on with my life, but the day I went to pick up the keys to my new apartment, I got a call offering me the job I had applied for months ago.
How did the Navicore Solutions housing counseling impact you?
Kim Cole and her team at Navicore played such a huge role in my success. Since I had to find a new apartment so quickly, I had no time to come up with a down payment in time. I was so scared I was going to lose the apartment that when I first talked to Kim over the phone I got emotional. In that moment, I had never been happier because Navicore helped with the down payment and I was able to move into my new place. My son and I love it here and I couldn't be happier. Since I started my job so recently, I knew I might have trouble paying the second month's rent. Kim and Navicore once again came to my rescue and helped me pay my rent. I WOULD RECOMMEND Navicore to all families in need during this time. I have struggled my whole life and sometimes you just need a little help to get where you deserve to be, and Navicore has done this for me.
How has Navicore Solutions impacted your future?
Navicore's help with my current and past situations has helped ensure that things are going to be fine. I know that all my hard work is finally paying off. Being able to move to a new area has been the best for me and my son.
How did your counseling session impact your ability to remain in your home?
It reminded me that I can always do everything on my own. Sometimes you need a little push to help you get places. I now have a great job that I was super lucky to get when I did. It just takes a little time to get over the hump.
Is there anything else you would like us to know?
I've never been more grateful to have such an amazing team on my side. Knowing there are people out there who truly want to help others succeed makes me feel so happy. It also makes me feel proud of working in the medical field because, just like the Navicore team, I always want to help others. I can't thank Navicore enough for all they have done.
This counseling was made possible by funding support from the Wells Fargo Foundation for COVID-19 Financial Recovery Program.
Katherine Fatta is the Social Media and Content Specialist at Navicore Solutions. She creates fun and informative social media posts that engage the public. She’s also the host of Navicore’s podcast, ‘Millennial Debt Domination.’ You can listen to our podcast here.
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