VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. - A city worker is dead and now his family is struggling to survive.
His wife, Barbara Harris said they lived in the mobile home for more than five years and were planning to make repairs on it, but she told News 3's Aleah Hordges that it hasn't been easy since his tragic death.
Barbara Harris sleeps around mold and in unsafe conditions.
She has a broken stove and busted pipes. Barbara mentioned no one can cook and sometimes their family can't even flush the toilet.
"Before my husband passed away, we've been doing a little work getting the plumbing done and starting to fix some of the walls," she said.
Water seeps in the home through the roof when it rains, making conditions more unbearable.
Barbara Harris said it's been tough getting things fixed since her husband died.
She's left to make tough decisions for her family now that she's a widow.
Barbara added, "Should I stay? Should I move somewhere else? Should I try to see if we could fix this because I own this?"
Ms. Harris is a teacher at Plaza Baptist Christian Preschool in Virginia Beach and has kept her living conditions private, but she's been forced to reveal her reality for the sake of her family's health.
Now the school is trying to raise $60,000 to help with repairs.
"They've been saying, you spend so much time helping everybody else, now you've got to stop and let somebody do something for you for a change," continued Harris.
Barbara said she has hope in these months after her husband's death, but she still needs a place to live.
"One day at a time. I know everything is going to work out," Harris said.
The widow said she plans to start fixing her home this spring, but is working to find a place to temporarily stay.
