Diabetes tough on this family
This woman's husband has been on dialysis for four years. With a debilitating diabetic condition, he spends eight hours a night, three nights a week at a dialysis center.
"A transplant isn't an option for him - he's not even on the list yet because he doesn't meet the requirements," she said. "Though both his kidneys are shot, he doesn't meet the weight requirements for the surgery for safety sake."
Her husband can no longer work because he is in a wheelchair. Formerly he was a certified nursing assistant (CNA), but now he has been out of a job for five years.
This mom has been a full-time production worker for more than a year and is managing as best she can to make ends meet.
"I'm thrifty," she said. "We use food banks and I try to hit the sales and cut out the things we can do without.
"Some days are rough, depending on how my husband's day has gone because everything falls on me. My husband had an amputation a few years ago and can't get around much now without his wheelchair."
Their young daughter helps around the house when she can, lending a hand with cooking and cleaning.
"I'd love for my daughter to have a chance to be a kid. She's been overwhelmed with all this and she's getting burnt out. This has taken a toll on her, too.
"Someday I'd like to go back to school for medical billing. I had to drop out a while ago because of my husband's health.
"But at the moment, there's not much we look forward to. We do enjoy spending time with our daughter and with each other and we're just thankful we have another day to live and spend together as a family."
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.
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