My name is Nemia Ducusin, everyone calls me “Mona”.  I am a 50 year old, filipina American, that has called Highland Park her home for 46 years. I have 7 children, between the ages of 18 to 31 years of age. All of whom have attended Highland Park Schools, including myself, and most have since moved on with their own families.

Our family has been living in Highland Park since 1960. The woman I affectionately call my “mom”, is Isabel DeGuzman, my aunt that raised me since I was 4 years old. She is from the Philippines and was the 3rd out of 10 children. Her husband, Geminiano DeGuzman (“Papa Jimmy”) worked for the Ford Assembly Plant in Highland Park, while Mom worked part time, to help with the family.  They lived in a 2 family flat on Pilgrim before moving into the current home on Eason St around 1977 with their 3 children.

Mom and Papa Jimmy sponsored and opened their home to several of our family members coming to the US. Mom also took in family members that required home care that their families could no longer provide. Including taking care of her husband at home before his passing from lung cancer. At one point we had at least 20 people living in the house. After working in a wig shop for years, she was able to finally open a family business along with her sisters, “International Boutique” . Located downtown, across from the old Hudson’s building. After it closed, she started working in home care well into her 70’s.

As Mom has gotten older (she is now 91 years young), she has experienced health issues that have taken away her ability to care for herself and the house is slowly deteriorating. We’ve gone through the basement flooding several times, the roof leaking, and other issues. We have always managed to “patch” and fix what we could.  Over the past few years, I have been unable to handle the financial burden of the repairs and cover our monthly bills on my own.  Asking for help is out of character and she has a lot of pride, and wants to still try to work if she could to save her home.

She has always taken care of her family, from her siblings to her parents, family in the Philippines and here in the US. My mom is the most hard working, diligent, persistent, caring person. She has taught me that hard work builds character. That it is our responsibility to take care of our family and those in need if we are able to do so. She has never looked for a hand out, but we would appreciate a helping hand.