Sarah and Matt are living paycheck-to-paycheck in Austin, Texas. When their third child Cooper, now 3, was born with dislocated hips and crisscrossed legs, he needed constant care, several surgeries, and physical therapy. Sarah was forced to choose between keeping her full-time job as a nurse and caring for her newborn baby.
Since Sarah stopped working, their family of five has been struggling to live on just one income. They moved out of their townhome because they couldn’t afford the rent and applied for food stamps because they didn’t have enough money for food, gas, utilities, and other expenses. They were forced to split their family up while looking for a new place to live – Sarah took their children to live in New York with her family, and Matt stayed in Austin to live with his parents while working and making money for Sarah and the kids.
They found affordable housing through a local Austin housing program but are struggling to get out of the cycle of poverty. Matt is waiting to find out about a job promotion, and Sarah has started working part-time again now that Cooper is more stable. They hope to one day afford a house with a backyard for their children and Sarah hopes to go back to school to become a registered nurse.
