FEATURE WHILE MARYLOU BOILED THE POTATOES AND SEASONED THE MEAT, GASKIN REFLECTED ON HIS COMMITMENT TO CARING FOR HIS AUNT. LOVE OF FAMILY TRANSCENDS HOMELESSNESS STORY AND PHOTOS BY ISABEL GUZMAN “SHE’S EARNED THE RIGHT to rest and have someone else wait on her,” Mark Gaskin said about his Aunt MaryLou. Gaskin, who is 61 years old, resides in a tent trailer down the street from his 82-year-old aunt’s apartment and cares for her daily. MaryLou’s health has been severely declining over the past few years, with only a couple of months left to live, according to her prognosis. “Whatever she wants to do, that’s what we’re going to do,” Gaskin said. “It’s more of, I’m here to make sure that she’s comfortable.” Gaskin does his best to ensure MaryLou is safe and able to live her life as she pleases. “Trust me, it’s not easy from my side,” MaryLou said with a smile. Every once in a while, the aunt and nephew pair bicker — because according to Gaskin, MaryLou has had to be a strong and independent woman her whole life and isn’t used to someone helping her. In her apartment, MaryLou walks around on her own and cooks meatloaf for dinner in the oven, with her nephew nearby in the living room to monitor. While MaryLou boiled the potatoes and seasoned the meat, Gaskin reflected on his commitment to caring for his aunt. “She asked me once when I take her and my mom shopping, if it bothers me that they move slower and want to look at everything,” Gaskin said. He recalled his response: “No, that’s what I’m here for. As far as I’m concerned, you two have earned the right to do whatever you choose. My job is just to make sure you’re safe in doing it.” Gaskin’s mother — MaryLou’s sister — currently lives in Arizona. She is turning 85 this year and is dealing with health problems, as well. Two of Gaskin’s sisters and three of his brothers take care of his mother while he takes care of his aunt. Reflecting on his childhood, Gaskin said family values were instilled in him from a young age, particularly the importance of caring for elder relatives. “That’s what family does,” he said. Growing up, Gaskin would spend his summers at his Aunt MaryLou’s and play with his cousin, riding bikes outside in the heat. He said his family has always been tight-knit and that he still keeps in touch with each of his eight siblings. After Gaskin lost his job in 2022 due to a work-related injury, he lost his home and started living out of his SUV. Then he found the Denver Basic Income Project, an initiative that provides income for people who are experiencing homelessness, and he earned $1,000 a month through the program. “In July of this past year, we found out that [MaryLou’s] account had been hacked, and she didn’t have the money to pay her rent. Well, because of the Denver Basic Income Project, I had the money in my account,” Gaskin said. “I have no problem sleeping in my tent. I have no problem sleeping in my car. I will not have her homeless.” Gaskin received his last check from the project in September, before funding ran out. Denver Basic Income Project pays his phone bill, but receiving that payment is also expected to end soon. He tried to earn pay through MaryLou’s insurance for caretaking, but the insurance company would only pay him if she was institutionalized. He decided to keep taking care of his aunt in-house so she could still have her independence, “because it’s the right thing to do,” he said. “I do what I can now [to make money].” When he isn’t caring for his aunt, Gaskin makes money by donating plasma, selling items, and leaning on the connections he’s made since joining the income program. “Denver Basic Income Project was my final straw,” Gaskin said. If this didn’t help, if there was no way they were going to put me into their program, then I had already decided….” Gaskin paused. “I grew up here in Colorado. I know what these roads are like in the wintertime.” Gaskin had planned to take his life if the project could not help him. He said he had lost all hope, a common narrative he said many other people who are homeless share. When he joined the project and met other people experiencing homelessness, Gaskin found that hearing others’ stories gave him more faith in humanity, and himself. “From one homeless person to another, the gloves come off, because they’re going to be real with you; because you can identify, you can share their hurt, their experience, and you’re going to be real with your emotions, as well as they’re going to be. They’re going to be who they are,” Gaskin said. As uncertainty about MaryLou’s health looms in the coming months, Gaskin remains resolute in his commitment to care for her. “Whatever the future holds…if she lives for another 10 years, or not, I’m not going to stop doing what I truly believe in my heart I should be doing,” he said. February 2025 DENVER VOICE 5
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