Mother Theresa needs You



Mercy Mission for Cape Town's "Mother Theresa"

Any philanthropists out there...
Here is your chance to make a life-changing impact on the lives of a family which is headed by a courageous 82-year-old bilateral amputee with a heart of gold that makes her truly deserving of the name "Mother Theresa". Like her namesake, Theresa Annie Barrows has touched and enriched many lives in the little seaside city called Cape Town - her home for her entire life. Read more...

Our story/project centres around the lives of a family whose hearts and home is always open to sharing and blessing everyone who enters this home. Sadly, this family has fallen on hard times. The family consists of Theresa Annie Barrows (our own "Mother Theresa"), a bilateral amputee grandmother and mother to all. At the helm of running a financially demanding household is Theresa's doting son Clive Barrows who has dedicated his life to the care of his beloved Mommy. The other members of the Barrows family are Michael and David (two adult men); as well as Tiago and Yusuf (young adopted boys). Were it not for Mother Theresa and Clive, Michael, David, Tiago and Yusuf would have been destitute.

Mercy Mission for Cape Town's "Mother Theresa"
Introduction
Hi everyone. Our names are Feroza and Abdul-Haadee and Aunt Theresa is our beloved Aunt whom we have the greatest respect and admiration for. Aunt Theresa is a living legend and inspiration, a true warrior woman. Her kindness has extended to so many including my late parents whom she shared her modest 2-bedroomed home with when no one else would help them. Aunt Theresa's son Clive (our cousin) is a humanitarian of note, a dignified man who has spent every day of his life for more than a decade lovingly caring for his Mom. We are making this plea on their behalf. Thank you.
OUR STORY
Our story/project centers around the lives of a family whose hearts and home are always open to sharing and blessing everyone who enters their home. Sadly, this family has fallen on hard times. The family consists of Theresa Annie Barrows (our own "Mother Theresa"), a bilateral amputee grandmother and mother to all. At the helm of running a financially demanding household is Theresa's doting son Clive Barrows who has dedicated his life to the care of his beloved Mother. The other members of the Barrows family are Michael and David (two adult men); as well as Tiago and Yusuf (young adopted boys). Were it not for Theresa and Clive, Michael, David, Tiago and Yusuf would have been destitute.
Here is their story, as told by Clive:
Hi. I am Clive and this is my story. It is called:
Mother Theresa... Annie Barrows
- One of the Unsung Heroes
- A mother to many
Born in 1935, one of 15 siblings, my Mother Theresa Annie Barrows was taken out of school at the age of 11 to work in a clothing factory to support her siblings. This she did with so much love and unselfishness.
Mother later married and had two children of her own; my sister Beverley and I. Times were tough then and Mother worked 7 days a week at Rex Trueform, a clothing factory in Woodstock, Cape Town. She set up her own little home industry of foods and confectionery to earn enough money to give her children a good education which would free them from the shackles of poverty.
When Mother retired at the end of the 20th Century, she was riddled with inter alia diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, peripheral vascular disease and asthma. Kind, caring and compassionate, she also adopted three generations of one family in desperate need, besides the many underprivileged she fed in the community and at hospitals.
At Christmas, Mother often sacrificed all to feed/give gifts to the sick, indigent and suffering at hospitals.
Eleven years ago fate dealt our family an unkind hand. Mother lost her husband (my Dad Ronnie) and I was diagnosed with Chronic Avascular Necrosis and Cancer. Mother fought hard to save my life with love and prayer.
In the midst of this, Mother was afflicted with gangrene of the left leg and had a massive coronary attack which led to a triple bypass graft and amputation of her left leg. I in turn, fought for my life selling all my assets, cashing in all my investments and even giving up my job to look after Mother. She then developed gangrene of the right leg and had to undergo another amputation. The ordeal of 7 years of hospitalization and 57 procedures saved Mother's life. And then Alzheimer's disease set in...
Only the kindness of someone she fed in a time of need has kept a roof over this family's head. Mother is fully dependent on me, her adopted son Michael and grandson David for her 24-hour care and frail care.
Our family prays daily for God's mercy as we now find ourselves unable to pay the increased rental our landlord has levied on us. We also have no funds for Mother's medication and Oxygen concentrator which Mother is dependent on for improving her oxygen levels.
Our old family car which is the only asset of value left and the means of getting Mother to doctors and hospitals, is immobile as it needs critical mechanical repairs and parts replaced.
Yet our family continues to hold onto our faith and a belief that our suffering is part of God's greater plan.
Faith, love and determination keeps us fighting. I believe that my fight to save my beloved Mother's life was blessed with my Cancer going into remission.
This is our story of a magnanimous and courageous woman... a son's undying love for his Mother... a story of family... a story of love and faith.
Your generosity, time and compassion is greatly appreciated.
Thank you and God bless,
Clive Barrows (son of Theresa Annie Barrows, Cape Town, South Africa)

With an extra R10 000 per month (R120 000 per year), the Barrows family will be able to pay their extra rental cost.
An extra R40 000 ((R480 000 per year), will enable the family to pay for Aunt Theresa's medical expenses which includes life saving medication, treatments and procedures. It will also assist the family to repair the old family vehicle, purchase sufficient food supplies and comfortably pay for vital utilities such as water and electricity.