PATTY

prized possession : #1: wheelchair. #2: t-shirt

 

“It’s a struggle (being homeless) but we’ve got it pretty good,” Patty says calmly. Other people are her source of peace on the streets of Denver. “We know a lot of people.” As well as friends, Patty is supported by Don, her boyfriend of four years and friend for fourteen. They met when both were fresh faces to Denver. She came from Illinois. They have also shared the city as their source of shelter on and off for over seven years. Even with her optimism, Patty’s experienced nightmares of the city’s rough edges. “I got attacked a few months ago. They gave me a stroke own my left side, so I ended up in a wheelchair. They don’t know who did it. Don went to get food, came back, and found me in a puddle of blood.” Fortunately, in her weakened physical state after the attack, Patty secured a spot in a shelter. Still, her time is often spent outside with Don, who hasn’t been as lucky. She proclaims that men have played a pivotal role in her path, openly talking about years spent with former partners. She jokes, “I’m homeless because of men,” she laughs, giving Don a playful slap after he omits to select her as his most prized possession.

 

Prized Possession: Her wheelchair and favorite T-shirt. A source of transportation since her stroke, she is grateful for her wheelchair but is not comfortable posing for a photo in it. The runner-up is her T-shirt loudly exclaiming the Mayan’s 2012 end of the world prophecy. She holds it up to her chest with a warmth.