Community Comes Together To Help NJ Mom With Multiple Sclerosis Keep Her Home

RIDGEWOOD, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A community is rallying around a Bergen County mother who fears losing her home.

After a health diagnosis left her unable to work, residents in Ridgewood have vowed to do all they can to help 47-year-old Lesley Linker.

"Your life changes, but there are things to be thankful for," Linker said. "My children, my family, my friends, this community is amazing."

Linker, a mother of two young children, lives with multiple sclerosis.

"I got the fast moving kind, it's very aggressive," Linker told CBS2's Alex Denis.

Robbed of her ability to walk, a home health nurse helps Linker accomplish simple tasks like drinking a glass of water.

Once a speech and language teacher in the Bronx, conversations are now slurred, but Linker's ability to smile hasn't been affected and she's determined to keep things as normal as she can for the joys of her life.

"My kids love their friends and their schools and I don't want to leave here," Linker said.

But staying in Ridgewood won't be easy.

The ability to afford the family home and essential health care is challenging as Linker goes through a divorce and no longer can work.

So her neighbors have picked up the slack.

"This is where her children have stability and this is where she can be the best mother," one neighbor said.

Devoted to keeping her in town the fundraiser Lesleypalooza was born, spearheaded by former Mayor Paul Aronsohn.

"It's not just about recognizing those challenges, it's about celebrating the love Lesley and her kids share. The love that Lesley and her parents share. That love that we feel for Lesley and the love she feels for us," Aronsohn said.

Businesses host fundraisers and schoolmates accent fashion and hair with orange for multiple sclerosis awareness.

The community Linker calls home is committed to raising $150,000 to keep her in Ridgewood.

"I just have to cry sometimes, not a lot, and never around the kids," Linker said, adding that the support she's received encourages her to never give up. "I don't think it will ever be over but I'll walk again one day. That's my feeling."

Linker said she hopes her story will raise awareness about multiple sclerosis. She admits that before her diagnosis she didn't know much about the disease.

If you'd like to help, visit gofundme.com/lesleypalooza.