Giving Tuesday 2021
This year, Giving Tuesday is November 30th. Maximize your impact to CDEL by giving between Monday, November 22nd and Friday, December 3rd to have your donations matched up to $15,000. CDEL is grateful to receive these matching funds from RRF Foundation for Aging as well as some very generous CDEL Governing Board Members again for 2021.
This Giving Tuesday, CDEL is featuring CDEL Client Isabella. Isabella lives on Chicago's Southwest side where she lives with her son. Over the years, Isabella has had many legal issues. Earlier this year, she found CDEL and has been able to obtain guardianship over her son, get estate planning documents executed for herself, and is in the process of finalizing a long sought divorce.
Read Isabella’s truly inspiring story below.
“I wanted some peace in my life.”
CDEL client Isabella lives on Chicago’s Southwest side near Midway Airport with her son. In addition to her son, Isabella’s support network includes her daughter, granddaughter and boyfriend. To Isabella, family is very important. She is very proud of her children and grandchild.
Over the years, Isabella has had many legal issues with which she could use help, but she thought she would have to accept her life the way it was because she did not have the funds to hire an attorney. Isabella explained, “I wanted to get some peace in my life and have things in order. But I didn’t have the funds to pursue any kind of help on these issues.”
But then, Isabella found CDEL. She initially reached out earlier this year looking for assistance with obtaining guardianship for her son. As she started the process with CDEL, she soon learned from a CDEL attorney that she could also work to get estate planning documents completed for herself as well as working to finalize a long-sought divorce.
“I want to be there for him.”
Isabella came to CDEL earlier in 2021 eager to obtain guardianship over her son, Nick. Nick has autism and lives with Isabella. In describing her son, Isabella immediately lights up. She is quick to mention his many hobbies including his love for his computer. He also deeply enjoys learning new languages and how each language compares to another. He even has taught himself songs to sing in Polish!
When Isabella asked Nick once if he would like to live alone without her, he could not even imagine the possibility. He wants to be close to his mom and always checks in on her to make sure she is doing well. “My son is so peaceful and caring. He’s like my right hand. He needs me to help him with the tasks of daily life. I want to be there for him.” Nick thoroughly enjoys living with his mom and to Isabella, that made getting through this guardianship even more rewarding.
“Everything is taken care of.”
Isabella was very surprised to learn that she could receive help from CDEL with getting a will and power of attorney executed for herself. She quickly realized just how important estate planning documents are. “They explained everything to me, so I went for it. You never know what could be coming in the future or what the future holds for you.”
Estate planning through executing her power of attorney and will made her feel an overwhelming sense of peace for her and her family. “It makes me feel at peace that if anything happens, I don’t have any loose ends and that everything is taken care of. I wanted to make sure that if anything happens to me, my daughter and granddaughter can say, ‘Grandma took care of this.’”
Isabella wishes she and her family knew about estate planning when her mother passed. “When my mom died, she didn’t know she could [do] all of this. When she passed away, nothing was taken care of. I am glad that I took these steps and learned about these things. I can now pass this information to someone else.”
Upon getting this done for herself, Isabella made sure to instill how necessary it is for her daughter and granddaughter to get this taken care of for themselves and their family. “You don’t want to make your family members wonder what or how to take care of these things. My granddaughter already knows just how important estate planning is.”
“I want to be myself.”
Isabella is almost through the process of obtaining a long-sought divorce from her husband. This process was another thing she was unaware that CDEL could help with. She mentioned how she has had a difficult past and went through a lot growing up. She saw doctors and was in and out the hospital. She expressed that she felt sick and has had depression for a long time because of her marriage. She soon became adamant on seeking a divorce to become free. “I want to be myself. I want to be free of the burden of my last name.”
She also spoke on what obtaining this divorce would mean to her family. “The happier my son sees me, the happier he is. We need to put order in our lives so we can keep going and make the best of everything.”