Lena later told a friend: "The hardest part wasn't the disability. It was believing I deserved help. The application is a test of persistence, not perfection. If you get stuck, call a community legal clinic. If you cry at the kitchen table, set a timer for 10 minutes, then fill out one field. One field at a time."
"Last Tuesday, I tried to make toast. I burned it because I forgot I turned the toaster on. Then I sat on the kitchen floor and cried for 20 minutes because I didn't have energy to make another piece. This happens often."
For three weeks, it sat there. She was afraid of getting it wrong.