A Jew Living in Her Car

A Toronto Jew is Living in her Car

Here in Toronto, possibly around the block from you, a Jewish woman is living in her car. She needs our help quickly. Here is what she told me.

I was born in Montreal and am in my late 40s. I moved to Toronto in the early ’90s after graduating as a health professional. I am Conservative and as a child went to B’nai Akiva and Jewish camps. I have volunteered at Baycrest and SickKids.
One day, in the mid-’90s I was stopped at a red light and a cab drove into my car at a high speed. I sustained multiple injuries, and it took me years to recover so I could speak and get around. I also lost many of my gifts. I used to play the piano and don’t anymore. I sketched but can’t anymore.

Two years after the accident, multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) kicked in, a condition whereby I am incredibly affected by the smell of pesticides, chemicals, perfume, cleansers, hairspray, shampoo, room freshener, carpet deodorizers and deodorant.

When I am exposed, I feel like a board has been thrust it into my forehead. Over the next 12 to 24 hours, I will be in extreme pain, vomit violently and experience dizziness. It can be very dangerous.

For the last year and a half, I have “lived” in my car as it is the only place I can control the smells. It is impossible to be in a building as my situation got worse with more exposure to the smells.

My life has been so affected by this condition that I will never be able to have children. Perhaps one day I will marry someone who has MCS. My mother has been amazing. My family has been supportive, but thought I would grow out of it. I haven’t, as my situation is not of a psychological nature. My father passed away before I developed MCS.

Eventually, after feeling physically and emotionally worn down, I approached a rabbi who arranged for me to attend a shul at which I not to affected by the smells. I also began opening up to friends. A while ago, I got to the point where I did not care whether I lived or die. Then a dear friend took me in for two months, adjusting the smells in her home for me. I remember the first night I stayed indoors –my birthday. It was an enormous gift.

I am looking for a house where I can control the environment. I can’t live in an apartment because the smells come from all sides. An older bungalow would be the best (stairs are difficult. I also have severe arthritis). I can also watch a (winterized) cottage or house-sit (perhaps for a senior who is willing to adjust her perfumes/chemicals, etc.).
I can afford some rent and know if I find a place where I can sleep six to eight hours a night, versus the two hours a night I get now, I will be able to work.

The car is always cold nowadays. It’s hard to breathe when the windows are closed and bitterly cold if they are open. I never get the darkness I need to sleep because of the street lights. I don’t feel safe. Every day is a struggle to find a good location. In the morning, I try to park facing the sun so I can warm up.

The nights are long. It gets so lonely. I need to hear somebody else’s voice. My life breaks my heart. There is nothing in life I enjoy. I feel like a leper in my own community. This article is the only thing giving me hope.

If you have a creative way of helping a woman living in her car, let me know (avrum@veahavta.org).