Ann, a Beloved Nanny is Fighting for Her Life
Donation protected
Summary:
Our dear friend, Ann, is in a scary and vulnerable position. She’s presently in New York City and desperately needs a kidney transplant ASAP. Unfortunately, she’s without health insurance, family help, savings or a social safety net, so this crowdfunding campaign is the only way to raise funds for her medical care. Ann is the warmest, most humble, caring and generous person you’ll ever meet. We ask for your support in this giant step toward healing and independence for Ann. Thank You!
Full Story:
What if you left your home country, made a life in America and supported your family back home, only to have a life-threatening medical crisis?
That’s exactly what’s happened to our friend, Ann, who traveled to the US from a rural province in the mountains of Northern Thailand. Ann left the village where her parents and grandparents spent their entire lives and has been working full-time as a nanny to a family that adores her.
Ann lives with six other people in a shared apartment in Queens. She has worked hard for the little she has, all while giving back to the country that has given her opportunity. Ann has volunteered for four years as a horticulture and maintenance worker in Central Park, and separately she donates her hair to Locks of Love to help cancer patients. She was living her version of the American dream, until everything changed. And now this warm, independent person could easily fall through the cracks as an ill, uninsured immigrant with no financial safety net.
This past summer, Ann got a nosebleed that wouldn't stop. Like many care workers, she’s without health insurance and was hesitant to seek treatment. Eventually her bleeding was so bad that she had to go to the ER. After numerous tests, doctors told her: You have End Stage Renal Disease. They also said that because Ann is young, a kidney transplant is essential to her survival, and the sooner the better.
Anyone who has faced a major medical crisis knows the stress of such news. In Ann’s case, it’s been amplified because she’s been financially supporting her family back home and has none of the resources that many of us count on – insurance, family help, savings, social safety nets, etc. - and even if she did, the out of pocket expense of a kidney transplant in this country can run upwards of $300,000 and with 94,932 people as of October 25th on the waiting list, that could take anywhere from 5-10 years. (Sources: National Kidney Foundation and US Dept. of Health & Human Services).
When her loved ones learned of the odds stacked against her, our hearts sank. We knew if we couldn't find another way, Ann could die. Ann’s friends have made it their mission to find a solution so that Ann can receive the medical care she needs. After many hours of phone calls, meetings and conversations with NGO's and hospitals in both US and Thailand, we’ve found a way to help Ann, and it feels totally doable! --- a transplant in a private hospital in Thailand would cost far less than in the US --about $80,000-- (see budget in Update 3), and it could all happen in a fraction of the time once a donor is found. In addition to being far less expensive and faster, Ann could then recover with the support and love of her family who all live in Thailand.
As you can see, we’ve raised upwards of $20,000 in just 3 months ! To close the gap, we’re requesting donations of any amount as we are very optimistic that through the POWER OF CROWD FUNDING, this can be accomplished in just a few short months.
We often hear heartbreaking stories about people who die because they did not receive the medical care needed to save their life. Let’s not let financial constraints be an obstacle in helping this strong, caring and deserving woman to receive the essential lifesaving transplant needed for her to survive and thrive.
Please donate, share and support this campaign in any way you can.
Thank You!
Ann's instagram page https://www.instagram.com/kidney_campaign_for_ann/
Ann loved volunteering on the Green Team in Central Park until this medical incident a few months ago. She hopes to return to that passion in the future when she is healthy again.
Above is Ann's enjoyment of Central Park in the Winter:) Below, is Ann praying at the Thai temple in Elmhurst Queens.
Our dear friend, Ann, is in a scary and vulnerable position. She’s presently in New York City and desperately needs a kidney transplant ASAP. Unfortunately, she’s without health insurance, family help, savings or a social safety net, so this crowdfunding campaign is the only way to raise funds for her medical care. Ann is the warmest, most humble, caring and generous person you’ll ever meet. We ask for your support in this giant step toward healing and independence for Ann. Thank You!
Full Story:
What if you left your home country, made a life in America and supported your family back home, only to have a life-threatening medical crisis?
That’s exactly what’s happened to our friend, Ann, who traveled to the US from a rural province in the mountains of Northern Thailand. Ann left the village where her parents and grandparents spent their entire lives and has been working full-time as a nanny to a family that adores her.
Ann lives with six other people in a shared apartment in Queens. She has worked hard for the little she has, all while giving back to the country that has given her opportunity. Ann has volunteered for four years as a horticulture and maintenance worker in Central Park, and separately she donates her hair to Locks of Love to help cancer patients. She was living her version of the American dream, until everything changed. And now this warm, independent person could easily fall through the cracks as an ill, uninsured immigrant with no financial safety net.
This past summer, Ann got a nosebleed that wouldn't stop. Like many care workers, she’s without health insurance and was hesitant to seek treatment. Eventually her bleeding was so bad that she had to go to the ER. After numerous tests, doctors told her: You have End Stage Renal Disease. They also said that because Ann is young, a kidney transplant is essential to her survival, and the sooner the better.
Anyone who has faced a major medical crisis knows the stress of such news. In Ann’s case, it’s been amplified because she’s been financially supporting her family back home and has none of the resources that many of us count on – insurance, family help, savings, social safety nets, etc. - and even if she did, the out of pocket expense of a kidney transplant in this country can run upwards of $300,000 and with 94,932 people as of October 25th on the waiting list, that could take anywhere from 5-10 years. (Sources: National Kidney Foundation and US Dept. of Health & Human Services).
When her loved ones learned of the odds stacked against her, our hearts sank. We knew if we couldn't find another way, Ann could die. Ann’s friends have made it their mission to find a solution so that Ann can receive the medical care she needs. After many hours of phone calls, meetings and conversations with NGO's and hospitals in both US and Thailand, we’ve found a way to help Ann, and it feels totally doable! --- a transplant in a private hospital in Thailand would cost far less than in the US --about $80,000-- (see budget in Update 3), and it could all happen in a fraction of the time once a donor is found. In addition to being far less expensive and faster, Ann could then recover with the support and love of her family who all live in Thailand.
As you can see, we’ve raised upwards of $20,000 in just 3 months ! To close the gap, we’re requesting donations of any amount as we are very optimistic that through the POWER OF CROWD FUNDING, this can be accomplished in just a few short months.
We often hear heartbreaking stories about people who die because they did not receive the medical care needed to save their life. Let’s not let financial constraints be an obstacle in helping this strong, caring and deserving woman to receive the essential lifesaving transplant needed for her to survive and thrive.
Please donate, share and support this campaign in any way you can.
Thank You!
Ann's instagram page https://www.instagram.com/kidney_campaign_for_ann/
Ann loved volunteering on the Green Team in Central Park until this medical incident a few months ago. She hopes to return to that passion in the future when she is healthy again.
Above is Ann's enjoyment of Central Park in the Winter:) Below, is Ann praying at the Thai temple in Elmhurst Queens.
Organizer
Matthew Schwartz
Organizer
Pepsi-Cola Sign, NY
