Mom Praises FernCare for Helping Uninsured Son Get Help
(Jeannie Davis, March 17, 2021)
Ferndale, MI – Like so many people in Ferndale, I had always thought that FernCare was a nice organization, but it didn’t affect me. Oh, I donated when I could, and promptly forgot about it.
That is until a few years ago, when my 6’2” son became seriously ill. He was a healthy 59 year old, who had been a fit tree trimmer all his life, never sick. His weight dropped to 120 pounds, and he was in constant pain. We sat with him in waiting rooms helping him sit up. We helped him undress and turned away from the sight of his ribs protruding and his inability to stand upright, or unbutton his shirt. You see, he had lost the use of his left hand. He had completely lost hope, and expressed thoughts of suicide. Each time we dropped him off, we were terrified that it was the last time we would see him.
And, he had no insurance.
His sister and I took him from specialist to specialist, scheduling tests, and consultations. Of course, with no insurance, they all demanded payment at time of treatment.
He had spent $8,000 and still no diagnosis! For the first few specialists, we were hopeful that a diagnosis would be reached and we could go forward with treatment. But, after a while, we knew that wasn’t happening. They all said it wasn’t their specialty and send us to another doctor, who ordered more tests.
I kept notes, and copies of the tests, and was able to avoid a few duplicate tests. With each dr. visit, my file grew, and I lugged it from doctor to doctor, few even glanced at them.
Adding to our despair for Timmy, was the money problem. How much more? How much would treatment cost? At this point, I generally dissolved in tears.
Then, a friend suggested FernCare! I hadn’t thought of that! I always thought FernCare was for other people. Well, I figured that maybe they could give me some advice.
I called and got an appointment for that Saturday. Timmy was having a bad day, and it was all he could do to sit upright in the waiting room, but, he soldiered on.
One step of the process was meeting with a consultant to discuss insurance options. People may not realize that free and low cost insurance is available, even for those who are working. FernCare has experts who help connect people with coverage they need and can afford. For those who struggle getting approved, FernCare provides the healthcare they need at no cost to the patient.
The insurance guy was amazing! By the following Wednesday, Timmy had insurance.
The sense of relief was incredible!
They advised us to get a primary doctor who would test his whole body instead of limiting themselves to his symptoms. Once a diagnosis was reached, treatment and rehabilitation was started, and still continues. Timmy had new hope and was an eager patient. He went to rehab diligently, even doing the exercises daily.
His pain is almost gone, and he is working on his left hand.
FernCare has made all this possible. I can’t stress enough how they help people. And they all seem happy to do it! All their volunteers are cheerful and willing to give extra help.
FernCare Free Clinic is a free medical clinic open to anyone between the ages of 19 through 64 who has no health insurance and no primary care provider. There is no income or residency requirement. For more information on FernCare, or to donate, please call 248-677-2273 or visit www.ferncare.org.