WSVN — Geraldine Jones was well known in Liberty City. Her smiling face greeting customers at Jumbos Restaurant for 30 years.
Dorothy Dortch: “She was my best friend. I could talk to my mom about anything.”
Last year, cancer took Geraldine. Earlier this year her daughter Dorothy paid a company $1,900 to install a headstone to honor her mother, but the company went out of business, reopened under a new name and never delivered the headstone.
Dorothy Dortch: “When I go to my mothers graveside I cant find my mom.”
That’s when we went to work. It took awhile but now when Dorothy and her children come to the cemetery, Geraldine’s headstone is in place.
Dorothy Dortch: “I didn’t think she was going to come thru with it. I really didn’t think so. I think if i hadn’t called you it wouldn’t have been nothing. I don’t think she would have done it.”
And if the woman hadn’t delivered the headstone, we had a backup plan. After our story aired, the people at Angelic Monument Company in Lauderhill contacted me and said we would like to donate a headstone to the family free of charge. Very, very nice of Angelice Monument to offer.
Most of the time we can help, but once in awhile we get chopped up.
Shawna Oberg: “It blindsided us and we had no defense against him.”
Shawna called us after her neighbor demanded that she cut down her black olive tree that had been planted 49 years ago.
Shawna Oberg: “Because my mother planted it. Its been here a really long, long time.”
The neighbors lined up to tell us they wanted the tree to be left alone, but a landlord at this condo said it was interfering with his sewer line. The City of Deerfield Beach agreed and ordered it to be removed.
Our story aired and that big beautiful black olive tree is now mulch.
Shawna Oberg: “The city won. It wasn’t even a fight.”
Not much to say, Deerfield Beach said the big tree had to go. It’s gone.
Shawna Oberg: “Very heartbreaking. It was unnecessary for the tree to go. It can ever replace it.”
Most times though good things happen.
Rose Wright: “And they light up and they are like, ‘Oh, I didn’t know that.'”
Rose had completed the classes to become a dental hygienist, then paid the $380 to take the national exam. But she was blocked from doing it because she didn’t put her middle initial on the application.
Rose Wright: “I’m very, very upset. Very, very upset.”
After Howard concluded the board had to allow Rose to take the exam, she did. She passed and is now looking for a job as a dental hygienist.
Linda was looking for a good plastic surgeon and found one. She then gave him a $2,450 deposit to do liposuction.
Linda Clementson: “And then everything went downhill two days before the surgery.”
Linda says after she complained when the doctors office changed the terms of their agreement, the doctor decided he didn’t want to do the surgery and his office refused to return her $2,450 deposit.
Then she called Help me Howard.
Linda Clementson: “I sure did. I got my money I got my check and I’m very excited.”
Linda got her money back, but she may not look for another surgeon to do lipo surgery to lose weight. Instead she may do exercise and…
Linda Clementson: “What I’m going to do I may just work it off because I am losing it little by little, watching what I eat and a little walking here and there.”
Patrick Fraser: “Drop that weight slow and steady Linda. Its how we work at Help me Howard slow and steady and never give up. Works for us and it works to help you.”
Got a growing problem you want to cut down? Want us to operate on it? Contact us, we are a little headstrong and hopefully will turn your head when we leave no stone unturned.
CONTACT HELP ME HOWARD:
E-mail: helpmehoward@wsvn.com (please include your contact phone number when e-mailing)
Reporter: Patrick Fraser at pfraser@wsvn.com
Miami-Dade: 305-953-WSVN
Broward: 954-761-WSVN