COMMUNITY RALLIES TO HELP DISABLED MAN ENJOY HOLIDAY
Caregivers for Escondido man says he’s overwhelmed by the support at Christmastime
ESCONDIDO
Life hasn’t always been easy for Tim Howard, a 61-year-old Escondido man with cerebral palsy. But 2020 has been brutal.
Because he’s at high risk for COVID-19 and can’t tolerate wearing a mask, Howard has barely left his apartment since the pandemic began and he rarely has visitors. The main exception has been Howard’s longtime caregiver, Ruth Carranza, and her husband and daughters, who treat him like a member of their family and celebrate all holidays together.
But this Christmas, Howard’s “family” has grown twentyfold. A Dec. 12 request on Facebook to fill the space under Howard’s Christmas tree with gifts has gone viral. Nearly 200 people responded to the request made by Carranza’s daughter, Sarahi Diaz, and gifts are now beginning to pour in. Diaz said Howard is a humble man who never asks for much. But he loves celebrations and has been overwhelmed by the gifts.
“Last year we surprised him. There were 10 gifts under the tree and he was ecstatic. But this year, there are already 20 gifts under the tree and many more coming and he’s blown away,” Diaz said. “It has made him so happy. He just sits there and stares at the presents with a smile on his face.”
Howard’s parents passed away many years ago and in the years since he has lived alone in a low-income apartment near Escondido’s Grape Day Park. His government disability income provides just enough for rent and groceries and Carranza’s salary as a caregiver. Howard uses a wheelchair and is nonverbal. To help him communicate, Carranza uses a tablet device with an alphabet on its screen. Howard will make a face when her hand passes over the letters so he can spell out words.
“They’ve been together so many years, she always knows what he’s trying to say,” Diaz said of her mother. “He’ll explain his feelings, whether he’s happy or excited or sad.