FACES OF THE FALLEN / Sylvester



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Michael ValentSylvester, denied social security in Georgia following crippling work-related injury. Lives in rooming house but does not have enough money for food and other basic needs. Interviewed outside Salvation Army at lunch time 7/25/04.

I'm from Albany, GA. I was working construction in Atlanta, GA. Basically I drove a u truck. Those big truck you drag rocks out of the ground to make gravel -- the brakes went and that truck went back intot he pit about 60 miles an hour. The truck was running and crashed into the ground and into the wall and that's what ruptured the disk in my neck and in my back. It was a crash, and when I got out of the truck through the windshield and when I stood up my back collapsed, and they rushed me to the Thomasville emergency room. When I went there the doctor said I only had a mild bruise in the back. And today I still have problems with my back.

I've been in NY for about five years and I'm disabled. I'm drawing my social security now. In Georgia they denied me social security. I can't turn my head you know like normal people turn their head. So I brought my claim up here in NY and I got a lawyer and they got it approved. But I ain't find any place. I can't find any place. Where I'm at is all drug addicts and I'm on the third floor and the elevator don't work. My back and I got a bad knee so it ain't good. I'm looking for another place but I can't find one. I need a better place to live. They're charging me $425 for a room, just a bed and dresser, you can't barely turn around. You can't cook and eat there and they won't allow a hot plate. I'm trying to find a one bedroom apt. It shouldn't be no problem for me to find a nice decent place to stay because I got social security. It shouldn't be no problem to find a good place but it is.