Woman Helps Elderly Neighbor Living In Filth
Too often when people see someone in need, they just assume someone else will take care of it. But not Lucy Ashen. When the 39-year-old London resident noticed her elderly neighbor was living in filth, she refused to give up until she’d helped. And the difference she made is utterly heartwarming!
It didn’t take Lucy long to notice that her elderly neighbor, a 70-year-old woman with some mental health issues, could use some help. She didn’t have food, her clothes were dirty, and there was clearly no one checking in on her. Yet, every time Lucy offered to help, the woman turned her down. But Lucy wasn’t giving up that easy!
Earning Her Elderly Neighbor’s Trust
Though it took more than a year, Lucy’s persistence paid off and she eventually gained the woman’s trust. The two became friends and Lucy’s elderly neighbor finally let her come into her one bedroom flat. And what Lucy saw shocked her.
She’d suspected things were bad. But nothing could have prepared Lucy for the squalor she discovered once inside.
What I saw when she finally let me in will stay with me forever! It was horrific! NOBODY should live like it,” Lucy wrote on Facebook.
Lucy knew she had to do something. She went to work right away, cleaning for hours on end. But things were so bad, everything had to go. And Lucy was going to need help with the overhaul.
So, she turned to the Internet.
Asking For Help
Matthew 7:7 says to ask and you will receive. Lucy posted a plea asking for help on Facebook, along with a list of her elderly neighbor’s needs. And boy did she receive!
I could not have dreamt what would happen next! The response has been overwhelming! I had around 80% of the list within 24 hours! The offers of help, the donations of goods and the beautiful messages of support still continue and it has astounded me.”
Thanks to the generosity of strangers across the Internet, the flat is practically unrecognizable. Gone is the filth and squalor and the dilapidated furniture.
Gone are the dusty, barren cabinets. Donations from a food bank keep the pantry packed so that the elderly woman no longer goes entire days without eating.
Lucy created a Facebook page called My Lady and Me to share the amazing story, as well as to provide updates. For privacy reasons, she refers to her elderly neighbor as “My Lady.” And My Lady affectionately calls her Lucy Locket.
Changing A Life
The makeover to My Lady’s home has been incredible. But the impact Lucy’s friendship has had on My Lady’s herself is where the most amazing transformation lies.
Lucy gave My Lady her first bath in 13 years. Before that, she’d only washed her face and cleaned her teeth in the kitchen sink.
Lucy brought along her 14-year-old daughter, Ruby, who just spent quality time with My Lady. The two sat on the couch, laughing together as Ruby entertained My Lady with the face swap feature on the popular cellphone app, Snapchat. Who knows how long it had been since My Lady had enjoyed that kind of attention, let alone laughed.
Lucy talks about taking My Lady out for a proper dinner. The folks in the pub were shocked to see her, because as one woman explained to Lucy, “We all thought she was dead!”
The woman then went over to speak with My Lady. And when Lucy asked My Lady later if she knew the woman, she said, “I’ve seen her all the time in there before, but she’s never spoken to me before untill today.” And that heartbreaking reply hit Lucy hard.
That night I thought about it, about the whole thing. For all anybody knew My Lady could have been dead, she had NO ONE checking on her EVER, and how sad that this lady was only comfortable talking to My Lady now she was ‘clean and presentable.'”
It Starts With One Person
Like the lepers that Jesus healed, My Lady had been shunned by society. It wasn’t that no one knew she needed help. It’s just that no one would do it. No one, that is, until Lucy. She’s shown this poor lost soul the love and dignity she deserves.
We often trick ourselves into thinking we can’t make a difference. That’s why Lucy is such an inspiration. She saw someone who needed help. She didn’t see anyone else stepping up. And so, she answered God’s call. She kept trying until My Lady finally let her in. And it changed both of their lives!
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12
h/t: My Lady and Me / WTHR News
