Speaker 1 (00:11):
The train to seventh Street Metro Centre in downtown LA is now arriving.
CRYSTAL FLORES (00:19):
My name is Crystal Flores and I'm 33 years old, and the thing about me that is different from other people is that I was born with heart disease. I was diagnosed with seven different heart defects. This morning I'm going to go to work to my office. We're on Santa Monica right now it's on Wilshire and second.
(01:03):
When I was 14 years old, I was recovering from my seventh open heart surgery and someone gifted me a heart pillow. There were compression pillows for open heart surgeries, and it really did help me for my chest pain. When I remembered that, I said, well, why not make pillows? I know how to sew. That's where the heart's pillows were born from that memory, this one is for Isabella. You can't see the name, but she lives in Canada. This one's going to go to Canada. These are on the United States. My Instagram page has over 9,000 followers from all over the world, so what I'm doing is selling through my Instagram. My pillows are $40 each, and in the last month I sold over 10. Aiden lives in Illinois. Olivia lives here in California. Austin, I believe lives in Michigan. The main reason I make 'em, because I know that it helps them in their recovery for the actual child, the person that's going through the open heart surgery, look,
ARCHIVAL VIDEO
Speaker 1 (02:18):
What is it? It's a heart.
CRYSTAL FLORES (02:22):
When I give these fellows to these kids, it's an understanding between them and me that we're going through this together. You're not alone. Even though we don't know each other personally, we feel that connection. They feel like I'm there with them, supporting them, understanding them through their journey. I never had that and that's like a bond, an instant bond. Making these pillows makes me feel like I belong in a community, in a community of heart patients, and that makes me feel like I'm accepted. This is like my lifeline. I have been homeless for the past five years.
(03:26):
I am going to show you all where I get water to shower. It's right down the street from where we are. My life wasn't always like this. I did this enough. I have my mom and two younger brothers. My mom was a single mom. She raised three children all on her own, but problems arise. My heart doctor told me I couldn't work anymore. We both lost our jobs around the same time and that's how me and my mom became homeless together in 2015. She would always tell me, life is like a jungle and only the strong survive.
Her name was Gloria. I look at this picture every day and I talk to her. I tell her I miss her and I love her. Sometimes I just tell her how I feel. I don't know, but grief is weird. She's not here, but for some reason I still feel like I could talk to her and I keep her right here, look right next to where I sleep. I just feel, I just feel close to her like that.
(05:22):
She was diagnosed with cancer out of nowhere. It was all of a sudden she was homeless while fighting cancer. It really affected the way that the doctors and everyone treated her, and I think that had a lot to do with her passing away. She always told me to not be ashamed of being homeless. She said that this is just a chapter in our lives that's not going to last forever. She is the reason why I still want to keep going. I don't want to let her down.
ARCHIVAL VIDEO
Crystal: Hi. Heart family. My heart mom's helping me stuff the pillows... say, hi, mom. Mom: Hi.
(06:12):
I'm grateful for everything that she taught me. Because of that, I'm doing everything that she wanted me to do, which is continue my pillow business and get off the street and I know she would be happy. I'm showing P people that they should have courage. It's okay to be yourself. I'm proud of who I am and my life, even though I live on a sidewalk. It's not about cars, money, clothes, it's all superficial stuff. Life is about being happy, loving people, having people love you back. That's what life is about and no matter what hardships you face, no matter how hard it gets, keep pushing. I feel hopeful. A week ago we bought the camper and we moved in and now we have a door Stay open. I am so happy. I don't even know how to, what emotion to show. Taking it all in one day at a time.
