HOUSTON — It’s support in the simplest form. Neighbors are putting stickers on the front door of Martha and Fredrick Lane's apartment.
“This one says 'we always believe we have faith,'" said Fredrick Lane through an interpreter. “It just means so much. I love it. I love it. A lot has come from our next door neighbor.”
Both born hearing-impaired, Martha and Fredrick spoke to KHOU 11 through an interpreter about one of the hardest weeks of their lives -- watching their 3-year-old, Helena, recover in the hospital after being shot in the head last week outside their apartment.
They see her every day.
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“Everyday when I get there, I say, 'Helena, this is Mommy. Mommy is here. I love you," and she’ll respond to that, and I feel connected. I feel our spirits are connected in that moment," Martha said.
“Her body needs to rest. We know that, but she is progressing," Fredrick said.
But this week, the car they’ve relied on, the one they lived in for 15 years while they were homeless, broke down.
They're having to take a bus to the hospital.
And without transportation, they are living back at the apartment complex where the shooting happened.
“We’re still living here because our car broke down. What are we supposed to do?" Fredrick said.
They say they’re living in fear.
“I don’t want to be outside. Every little thing scares me," Martha said.
But luckily, the family has gotten help from their friends and complete strangers. The GoFundMe created for them has raised more than $60,000. It's money they hope to use to buy a new car and find a new place to live.
“To everyone who has given, thank you. Every single one of you. For your prayers. For everything," Fredrick said.
Harris County Sheriff's Office investigators say they are still working any and all leads trying to find the person who shot Helena. They’re asking anyone with any information to contact them at (713) 274-9100.