As she recovered, she was able to work, but her back injury limited what she could do. Her flare-ups would cause her to take months off at a time, making her an unreliable employee, and she struggled to get work. Long gone were the days when she had a steady income as an auditor for the postal service where she had a promising career.

Her money ran out, and her pride got in the way of asking for help. "For two years, I slept in my car, that's two winters. I remember buying a shower curtain to use as a privacy screen while I slept and made sure I didn't drink any water after 5 pm because there was no bathroom to use."

She did what she had to do to survive.

Roberta did her best to put on a brave face and work through the pain from her injury, finding odd jobs. She was embarrassed about her situation, so she did what she could to convince people she was okay. This would mean arriving at a convenience store early in the morning to use their bathroom to wash up and get ready for work. She finally broke down and admitted she needed help. This was when she arrived at our doors.