Every New Year's Eve, we go to church and celebrate what God has done for us and thank HIM for seeing us into a New Year. If you have a testimony you go up in front of the church to share what great thing God has done for you in the year we are about to close on.
My parents were both coming from work, so I waited for them to come to share my testimony, but by the time they arrived the time for sharing testimonies had closed. I'm sorry I waited because it was when I got home I realized I could have just told them what I had to say face to face. I'm going to share it here and now.
I am so very thankful for my church family, it was because of them that 3 years ago in April I was able to get my kidney transplant. The church had come together as one to raise money for me, paying for the surgery wasn't the problem but I needed the money to pay for very costly medicine that I was told I would stay on for the remainder of my life. The money that was raised was then handed over to the Georgia Transplant foundation that would match dollar for dollar of what I could raise, between my church and my old home church in NY we collected $5000 and received another $5000 from the foundation.
Most good things come to an end, after receiving my new kidney I had one year with Medicaid insurance and three years with the Medicare insurance, then I would be on my own financially. When that time finally arrived I was so depressed, cried over my hospital bills, and had no idea how in the world would I be able to pay for these medications. I just accepted the fact that I would lose my kidney and end up back on dialysis again since they will pay fully for dialysis treatment but not for actually keeping your kidney.
My family fought for me while I gave up, they did research in trying to find insurance that would accept me and help me be able to pay for these medications, I was so reluctant to listen to them when they were trying so hard to help find a way. It was my mother who actually initiated the phone call for me while her and my younger sister were going through my medications to find out if each one would be covered and it was my father who found the ad on the back of a Wal-Mart circular. My older sister was also helping, while I couldn't even see an exit to my problems.
I now have coverage for my medications and will not have to be spending nearly $500 month out of pocket just to get medication, I will be paying a fraction of that with my monthly deductible.
This family that I complain about and want to run away from so much is the reason I am still around. I love them so much and what family doesn't have their issues, I know I bug them as much as they do to me. I am blessed to have this special four in my life. Thank you God for all you have done for me!
