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Published 10/26/2009 in Commentary : Letters to the Editor
System fails those in need
I am disappointed in my country right now. My 24-year-old daughter has been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. She was diagnosed in April and I have yet to find anyone to help her. She is a single mother raising two boys. Her place of employment doesn't provide insurance and she cannot afford to pay for the high price of insurance.
The diagnosis alone has cost about $6,000. There were MRIs, CAT scans, spinal punches, etc. She can't pay these bills so we know that shortly her wages will be garnished. We went to Social and Rehabilitation Services to see if they would help her since she is receiving food stamps for her kids. They won't help her, and they don't know of anyone who can.
Their reason for not helping her? She has a job. They said if she quit her job she could file for disability and they could give her a medical card. She filed for disability to see what they would say and they turned her down because she has a job. Multiple Sclerosis is a disabling disease. Especially if it goes untreated, it will progress much faster than if she was receiving treatment for it. The medication alone runs between $30,000 and $50,000 per year. They recommend an MRI be retaken every six months to check on the progression of the disease.
I was looking on the SRS Web site and found that they will help people with gambling and drug problems. She has a gambling problem, she is gambling with her life because she can't afford the doctor visits. She has a drug problem because she can't afford the medication she needs to keep the disease from progressing. One of the things you want to do when you have MS is keep as active as possible. It wouldn't make sense for her to quit her job and sit around. She wants to keep working until she can't. She misses a lot of work but they don't care about that. They just won't help her because she is working. Her utilities are threatening to shut her off because she can't pay the bills.
And America is ready to give these illegals all the help they need. Here, have a medical card, have some food stamps, have some free cash assistance, don't worry about anything; we will take care of you. But my daughter, whom was born and raised in America, gets shoved in the corner by these people just hoping she will disappear.
I went so far as to e-mail a letter to the Kansas State Senator, Montel Williams, United Way, Salvation Army and got no response from any of them. No one can tell me how to help her. I used to donate to these causes, I don't anymore.
If anyone reads this letter and has any idea I haven't tried, please have it in your heart to share it with me. I greatly appreciate it! My number is 260-8709.
RHONDA WEISER,
Garden City
Found 2 comment(s)!
ONLY IN AMERICA
Dear Rhonda, I feel your pain as I have been sick for 4 years and nothing has helped my illness with all the insurance and disability income that I do have. It is sad to hear about all the funding and aid we do all over the world and we can't even help our own. Contact your local or regional MS Chapter or even the National MS Society. They may have some ideas. I bless your daughter for continuing to work..that is what I did until I just lost all my steam. Love her and hug her for me. Be strong for when she can't
Posted by: KELLY on 10/28/2009
Your Daughter has know idea
It's only just begun. I've had M.S. for over 20 years and most of my help has been myself. She needs to be proactive and start to help herself...NOBODY will do it for her. Approx. 500,000 people in the U.S. have M.S.,A.C.L.S.,and not to mention the numberous Dystrophies...Autism....Cancers.....Everybody has a story. She needs to be pro-active and learn to be her own advocate. No one can do it for her, no one is going to help her, no one can make it go away. Churchs are burnt out, societies are exhausted, and charities are only able to pay for their own employees. Her own family will get tired of her needyiness, her friends will walk the other way, and unless she has money even her own husband or boyfriend will eventually throw in the towel. The world isn't able to continue taking care of the ones less fortunate....we need to take care of ourselves....and we will do a MUCH better job of it too!! Tell her to take help when it is offered, but to do as much for herself while she still can. She needs to hide her symptoms as long as she can get away with it. Stop telling people about her Diagnosis...and for Heaven-sake find a better job. She needs to get insurance. The bills alone will distroy her....I don't know what she does but without insurance, and with her M.S. Diagnosis, she may even loose coustody of her boys. That's where the state will help, that's when the state will step in and take control....she needs to realize that m.s. is a progressive disease and how she is today is the best that she is going to feel....get going now and possibly she'll be ok. if she is thinking that the world is going to help...well then she has a lot to learn....Good luck and may God bless you all.
Posted by: Jayne on 10/28/2009
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