Trevor’s Story
During his 10-year prison stay, Trevor* became blind. He had no place to go and had many barriers in his way. When he needed to trust and rely on people the most, he decided to take a bus to Grand Rapids after he got released from prison because he had some history here.
When he made it to town, he connected with a local church that kept him in a hotel for a few days, and through that connection, he learned about MTM.
Trevor was not hopeful and was in a lost, dark place – that is when he turned to MTM for support.
As soon as he arrived at the doors of Mel Trotter, he received immediate care. The nursing staff assessed him and decided he required one-on-one care because of the severe visual impairment he was experiencing. Cataracts completely took over both of his eyes. The first step for Trevor was getting him set up with a primary care provider, then scheduling appointments at an eye center to get him care with the end goal being surgery.
Along with medical care, Trevor received hot and nourishing meals, a safe place to rest, one-on-one support, and access to resources he needed to leave homelessness.
Three different guests who were also experiencing homelessness walked next to Trevor, guiding him through the hallways, cafeteria, and other areas during his entire stay at the MTM. After a couple months of being at the Mission, Trevor underwent his first of two eye surgeries. Someone needed to stay in the waiting room throughout the duration of the surgery, so an MTM volunteer gave up his day to drive Trevor to and from his surgery and stayed there and supported him all the way through.
Trevor had his second surgery in March. The outreach team at MTM drove him to his surgery, stayed with him until it was complete, and helped him get all the necessary post-surgery medication.
After two successful eye surgeries, Trevor can fully see after six years of being blind!!
Through the medical outreach team, he received post-surgery check-ups. They also helped him get his much-needed cell phone functioning, so he could be independent and communicate with his doctors and schedule appointments.
Because of faithful supporters and the resources provided by MTM, Trevor has his sight back. Now he is back on his feet seeking housing to continue on a better path forward.
* name changed to protect guest’s privacy
