Husband's surgery puts family in bind
Picture this: You wake up one morning feeling pretty good because you're more or less on top of your bills and it's a sunny day out. By the time you go to bed that night, however, you're more than $15,000 in debt for your husband's emergency surgery.
"My husband had been having some pain in his lower stomach when he was at work, so he decided to go to the hospital," this wife and mother said. "It turned out he had an incarcerated hernia that was cutting off the blood supply to the intestine. Then, when they opened him up, they found several more hernias.
"We don't have any medical insurance and when that happened we were already paying on other medical bills, so that last one really made it hard."
This mom is a full-time college student hoping to make a career in social work. Immediately after her husband's surgeries, she went out and found a job in retail to help with the bills. Unfortunately she has been unable to get enough work to help out much. The couple has two children.
"I've only been getting like maybe 10 hours a week," she said. "I can work any time except when I have to drop off and pick up my older child at school. I'm hoping my company will call me when they need someone to pick up extra shifts.
"My husband works in the restaurant business and when he had to take off time for his surgery, it made it kind of hard for us financially. We're grateful he's able to work full time, but he still doesn't get insurance."
She said her family is trying to pay its medical bills a little at a time, but currently they're having to come up with almost $300 every two weeks.
"Any help from Christmas for All would be a great blessing for our children this time of year," she said. "We just want the kids to have a Christmas."
With our readers' assistance, Press Christmas for All works to brighten the holidays for people like this - the jobless, homeless, those who are barely making ends meet, individuals with disabilities or illnesses. Many are alone this holiday season.
Each year, our generous readers' donations allow us to assist thousands of Kootenai County families in need. Each day until Christmas, we will share the stories of those whose holiday memories will be a little happier because of Press Christmas for All.
Donations are collected, then distributed in the form of gift cards to Kootenai County residents in need.
Press Christmas for All is a holiday charity now in its 28th year. It is managed as a nonprofit by The Hagadone Corp. Because it is run by volunteers from The Hagadone Corp. and their partners at Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, every penny raised is distributed in the form of gift cards from local retailers who also generously support the program. The cards can be used to buy food and gifts but not alcohol or tobacco products. All contributions are tax deductible.
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