It's been a terribly hard year for Jenita Nenam and her family.

Her baby boy, who suffered from a rare medical condition that required constant care, was in the hospital and another medical facility for months. The illness caused open sores on the baby's body, and one of his eyes had to be removed.

Nenam missed several days of work to care for her baby — who was in and out of the intensive care unit — and lost her job as a gas station cashier.

Her husband also ended up missing work to look after the couple's three other children while Nenam stayed with their youngest child in the hospital. He soon lost his job as a restaurant cook.

Unable to pay rent, the family moved from home to home for shelter. They lived in their car, which later broke down, for three months until they found transitional shelter in July.

Then last month, the family was hit with its worst tragedy when the ill infant died at 11 months old in the hospital.

"It's still hard for me," Nenam said softly. "I've been thinking about the time I've been spending with my son."

It was heartbreaking for Nenam to "see her son go through so much," said Nenam's caseworker, Michelle Palsis. "It was so painful for her."

The family is slowly working to pull things back together.

Nenam's husband recently began working again full time as a cook. Nenam, 28, is trying to find child care for her children so she can go back to work. The couple has one school-aged daughter and two younger children.

With Nenam's husband making less than $10 an hour, finances are tight. He's trying to find a better job.

"Financially, they're struggling," Palsis said.

Nenam's husband is also dealing with the illness of his mother, who is in hospice care, she said.

"He's just trying to hang in there, and Jenita plays this role of just being supportive and just being there for him, keeping them strong," she said.

Palsis described Nenam's family as very friendly and loving.

"They're actually very supportive of other families here that are going through the same situation as them," she said. "They are a very close family, and the kids are well taken care of."

The family is in need of basic necessities like diapers, baby wipes and clothing for their children. They can't afford to buy their children gifts.

Nenam would like for her children to have some educational toys this holiday season and, if possible, a bunk bed or a television.

Her 23-month-old son wears a size 2T, her 3-year-old daughter wears a 4T, and her 5-year-old daughter wears a 6T.

Nenam wears a size 18 pants and L shirt; her husband wears 36 x 30 pants and XL shirt.

Reach Lynda Arakawa at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com.