With courage, determination, and a little help from Harbor Care, she’s ready to start over. Again.

It takes an immense amount of courage and determination to break from the past and start over. Fernanda, a patient of Harbor Care Health and Wellness Center, has done it twice now.

At the age of 20, Fernanda immigrated from Santa Catarina, Brazil, to the United States and toiled against all odds to start a family and open a cleaning business in her new country. Then last November, she found herself divorced after 17 years and starting all over again with her 14-year-old autistic son.

At her lowest point, she connected, through friends, with Ana Pancine, Harbor Care’s Chief Financial Officer, who connected her to Magna Krieger, our Director of Community Health Services. Magna immediately went to work finding her affordable housing and utility assistance by reaching out to one of our community partners, the Front Door Agency. Front Door accepted Fernanda into their Transformational Housing Program and arranged utility assistance for her.

“When I was at my worst, Harbor Care [and Front Door] came to my rescue, helping with rental assistance and child health services,” she said. “Ana and Magna helped me in a very tough time in my life; they have helped me and my son tremendously!” 

Fernanda’s greatest need was to arrange care for her son, Gregory. He’s autistic and relies on therapy. Her ex-husband takes care of Gregory during the day while Fernanda works. She said, “The rest is me. Weekends and everything, it’s me.” The divorce was hard on Gregory, but she said he is now thriving. He’s become more outgoing. “I take him with me to friends’ houses, and he’s more active. He wants to talk to everybody. He wants to take pictures with everybody. He’s very social now.” His therapists are working toward a goal of Gregory being able to work and live with more independence.

“The best thing is that I’m working. My home is just with him. He’s calmer now, so we’re both happier,” she said.

Manga manages a team of Community Health Workers, who aim to create a bridge between community members and Harbor Care services. The teams’ strategy includes community outreach, insurance navigation, and health coaching to those with chronic illnesses. She said Fernanda has gained confidence through this process.

“From the Community Health Services department’s vantage point,” Magna stated, “The support we were able to offer Fernanda is paramount to her health and well-being. We were able to provide her with primary care and dental services, support her with rent and utility assistance. Because of this support, she can focus on herself and her son’s health without the added stress of being unable to make ends meet in such challenging economic times.”

Fernanda is now looking forward to completing her real estate license and buying her own home, and she would like to tell others, “Never give up. Just go forward, look for help, and never stop. You can’t stop.”

Harbor Care Health and Wellness Center offers primary care and preventative services, substance use treatment, mental health care, dentistry, pharmaceutical services, and more for all ages, regardless of one’s ability to pay. Learn more at www.harborcarenh.org/healthcare-index, or call 603-821-7788.

Fernanda and Magna Krieger, Director of Director of Community Health Services.