Edinburg mom seeks to finish school to give her son a better life

2 weeks ago 68

All Marlen Yahaira Cobos wants is a better life for her one-year-old son, but she also wishes her mother was still alive to help her be a better mom.

The 22-year-old Vision Academy of Excellence student lives in the Edinburg home her mother left behind for Marlen and her 24-year-old brother after she died from cancer two years ago at the age of 48.

Marlen said a majority of the house is missing insulation, so the forever summer heat here in the Rio Grande Valley is always present, but on those rare, cold days, Marlen and her family can really feel the difference.

The shed has a collapsed roof. A PVC pipe from the water heater has a leak. A room in the back of the home has a broken window, allowing the outside elements to creep inside.

Marlen’s mother, Joaquina Lopez, worked as a provider for 15 years and then she was hired as a janitor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley where she obtained health insurance.

“She really liked to work,” Marlen said. “She never really complained about work. She always worked two jobs.”

Marlen explained that two of Joaquina’s friends from a Zumba class had both died unexpectedly from cancer, leaving their daughters behind and said that Joaquina didn’t want that to happen to her.

However, she was later diagnosed with cancer as well and died within the year, also leaving Marlen and her brother to take care of themselves.

“We depended on our mom a lot, especially me,” Marlen said.

Following her mother’s death, Marlen said that her step dad left the picture. He pays for the land her mother’s house sits on, but not much else.

Marlen says that her son, Francisco Esqueda Jr., is the reason she returned to school to get her diploma, but this also resulted in her having to quit her full-time job at Chick-fil-A.

During that time, Marlen’s boyfriend, 22-year-old Francisco Esqueda Sr., worked full-time at Dollar General and would then go to Chick-fil-A to help Marlen during her closing shift.

Despite their best efforts, the money they were getting wasn’t enough.

After a car crash, the couple had to buy a vehicle, which is already having its issues.

Ultimately, Francisco left for Indiana to work.

“For (Francisco), I feel like it’s hard because he gave up seeing (his son) everyday to go work, to help us out with the bills,” Marlen said.

The young couple tried to live with Francisco’s parents, but they were already a family of seven in a three bedroom home, so they felt their family of three would be too much of a burden.

They moved to Corpus Christi for a while too, but found it too dangerous where they lived and came back to the RGV where an aunt offered to rent a home, but even so, the bills were too much.

Marlen ended up moving back in with her brother in their mother’s home as her boyfriend left north to work for their son’s future.

Currently, Marlen is waiting to take her final exams in order to earn her high school diploma and as for extra money, Marlen wakes up at 5 a.m. every other Saturday to go sell clothes at the flea market.

“I need to finish school,” Marlen said, “When we were small, (my brothers and I) went through so much and that’s what really scares me. I don’t want (my son) to go through what we went through. That’s why my goal is to get through school and get everything together.”

The United Way of South Texas is collecting contributions for the family, which will receive 100% of all donations. You can help them by calling the United Way of South Texas at (956) 686-6331 and ask about the Spirit of Christmas campaign.

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