Sponsored Welcoming

Victoria and her family are recovering from a serious traumatic event they suffered two years ago. Victoria's youngest son, 16 at the time, was stabbed multiple times outside a local elementary school in a case that turned out to be mistaken identity. He was left critically injured and spent nearly a year in the hospital, undergoing 24 surgeries.

Initially, doctors were afraid the boy would lose his leg. Fortunately, he is now able to walk with crutches, although he still lacks feeling in the lower part of one leg. While his recovery has been long, he is making steady progress.

The whole family was understandably severely affected by this event. They no longer felt safe in their neighborhood or in living so close to the school where the attack happened.

Victoria now focuses full time on her son's care while working on her own healing from the shock of nearly losing him. Her husband works as a day laborer, along with their older son, who returned home to help with his younger brother's difficult recovery.

The recovering 18-year-old is cheerful and eager to get started on a career in fashion design.

With the help of North Marin Community Services, the family recently moved into a small duplex in a quiet neighborhood. The only furnishings they had were bed frames that were left in the home and a patio table and chairs, given to them by a friend; they had been eating their meals in the backyard.

The Mission Rotary Club of San Rafael generously sponsored the furnishing and outfitting of the family's home. Members of the Rotary; led by Mike Green, Susan Angel and Gary Pape, also donated the gently used furniture and household goods needed and contributed their hard work in setting everything up on "Welcoming Day."