Mildred Hugo & son Roger and daughter Melissa

Essexville, MI

Our Story...

As a mother who has raised 15 children, 78-year-old Mildred Hugo has dedicated her life to her family.

Starting at the age of 18, Mildred has been a loving caregiver to all four of her sister’s children and 11 of her own. But, as she now reaches an age when one might expect her children to begin taking care of her, she is still caring for them.

Two of her children — Roger, 60, who is paralyzed on his left side, and Melissa, 36, who has Down’s syndrome — still live at home.

Unfortunately, she doesn’t know how much longer she will be able to give them the 24-hour-a-day care that they need.

“I’m worried,” she says. “If something happens to me, my kids are going to need help. They’re going to need someone to take care of them, and it’s hard to find someone for $5 an hour. You need someone who really wants to help them, and not many people want to help for so little money. It is my goal in life to never put them in a home. If at all possible, we will be here in this house because these kids need to be with their family. They need support.”

Still, Mildred worries about what kind of care they might receive if she can’t do it on her own. She has little faith in the current home care system.

“All [disabled and elderly] people need to be taken care of. You can’t just put them out in the street or stick them in the closet,” Mildred said. “They can’t fight for themselves — someone has got to fight for them. That’s why we need the government behind us. That’s why we need a change.”