Legacy of Resilience: The Journey of Three Generations
A grandmother, daughter, and granddaughter reflect on the care and support they received at Bell Family Shelter.
When the phone rang that January morning in 2022, Ann hesitated; the number was from a hospital in Michigan. Her heart pounded—she had a feeling she already knew what the call was about, but she wasn’t ready to hear it.
“The doctor said we needed to come,” she recalls. “My oldest daughter might not make it.”
Her 27-year-old daughter had contracted COVID and rushed to the hospital. By the time Ann and her younger daughter, Elena, arrived in Michigan, both of her daughter’s lungs had collapsed. She was intubated and placed in a medically induced coma.
“I remember walking into the hospital, and they told me I had to suit up. The only words I could say were, ‘I don’t care. That’s my baby in there.’” Ann stayed by her side, talking to her for hours. Her daughter fought bravely for six long months.
Now, sitting beside Elena at Bell Family Shelter, Ann shares the memory. She notices tears rolling down Elena’s face and pauses.
“I’m sorry,” Ann says gently. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
Elena shakes her head. “This is the first time I’ve talked about it. I remember Dad got a call from the hospital six months after Mom and I went to Michigan. He didn’t want to tell me. He was stressing me out. Finally, he said, ‘Your sister is gone.’”
That day, Ann had been carrying groceries into the house, getting ready for a Father’s Day gathering. “I left my phone in the car,” she says. “Later, I was out on my dad’s patio when a cardinal landed just a few feet away. It stayed there for ten minutes while I talked to it.”They say cardinals are signs of loved ones. “I never thought it was my daughter,” Ann says quietly.
After the loss of her daughter, life threw Ann even more challenges. Her partner of 18 years unexpectedly told her to leave. She found temporary refuge with a friend who built a small shack in the woods. For nearly a year, that’s where she stayed. After that, she bounced between places, eventually staying with her sister.
Elena also faced her battles. “I’ve been homeless for about nine months,” she shares. “I was living with my dad, but we disagreed, and he and his wife kicked me out. Then I stayed with Mom at her sisters for a while.”
Determined to find stability, Ann and Elena called Bell Family Shelter every day until a room became available. “It took three to four weeks of calling,” Ann says. “But we finally got in.”
They’ve only been at the Shelter a short time but already feel hopeful.
“Everybody seems nice,” says Ann. “The staff is willing to help.”
Elena agrees. “It’s been a good experience so far. They accommodate all our needs.”
As Ann watches her young granddaughter, Chloe, play with a toy from the Sensory Room, her face lights up. “That’s my heart right there,” she says with a smile. “I was there for everything—through the pregnancy, in the delivery room—I even cut the cord.”
Chloe, now school-aged, is navigating challenges, including bullying. But at Bell, she is surrounded by love. Here, she is safe—with her mother and grandmother beside her. Three generations lean on each other for strength, three women standing tall despite unimaginable loss and hardship.
But their story isn’t one of despair—it’s one of perseverance.
Ann is working on securing Social Security income. Elena, with hopeful eyes and a bright smile, shares her dreams: “My big goal is to go to cosmetology school. I want to have my own business and brands. The dream is big.”
In the meantime, she’s taking steps such as visiting the assistance office and filling out applications for housing programs. Her determination is strong. “The sky is the limit,” she says.
Three generations of women—bound by love, resilience, and the will to build a better future. Their journey continues together beyond Bell Family Shelter as they work towards independent living.