Happy Veterans Day!

Today we celebrate the men and women who have honorably served in the United States Armed Forces. Mercy Housing Lakefront is proud to support many of our nation’s veterans who need affordable, service-enriched housing, veterans like Ken who proudly served in the United States Marine Corps.

After his service, Ken achieved success in civilian life: he graduated from college, got married, had two children, owned a nice home and car, ran in marathons, and had a successful career, including as a general manager for a large company.

But life took a sudden turn for the worse when he started experiencing severe, unexplained memory lapses. “I would come into work, and I wouldn’t remember a thing. I would be walking around not knowing what was going on, not able to form memories with my brain, not able to converse in English, not able to communicate with anybody,” Ken recounts.

“Cannon Place is great. It’s been the biggest stabilizing factor in my life for quite awhile.”
– Ken

After several hospitalizations and serious injuries, Ken was shocked to learn that he was diagnosed with epilepsy and that for many years he was having regular, prolonged, petit mal seizures that eventually led to grand mal seizures, lasting longer than five minutes. “I should be dead. When you seize for over five minutes, that’s kind of the danger zone of seizures — they call it a status epilepticus.” The seizures were causing memory lapses and took a toll on his physical and mental health. During this period in his life, Ken went through a divorce, was fired from jobs, and lost his home.

Fortunately, Ken was prescribed medication to treat his epilepsy and his health improved. He also started receiving care at the Danville VA Medical Center where his case manager, Emily Blue, told him about Mercy Housing Lakefront’s Cannon Place, a permanent supportive housing community for veterans who have experienced homelessness located in Danville, Illinois.

Ken moved into his apartment home at Cannon Place and joined a supportive community where he developed strong friendships. “Cannon Place is great. It’s been the biggest stabilizing factor in my life for quite a while,” he says. The stability of his home at Cannon Place has enabled Ken to maintain his health and obtain employment at a forge where he works 12-hour shifts grinding crankshafts.

Day by day, Ken is rebuilding his life, working to regain his license, and saving money to purchase a car. After that, he plans to pursue his graduate degree in mathematics and become an actuary.

Ken’s story is a reminder that many of our neighbors are just a single medical emergency or job loss away from housing instability or homelessness. For years, he struggled to make sense of what was happening to him. By finding a stable foundation at Cannon Place, supported by caring people like you, he is charting a new, hopeful path.