Ben's insulin pump fund
Donation protected
I am Janessa, I am a wife and a mom of 3 kids and I am raising these kiddos with the help of their dad, Ben. We are doing our best to provide for them and give them as many opportunities as we can. Sometimes we have to put things on a back burner due to the medical costs we have for Ben's diabetes supplies.
This summer has been quite challenging. It began in June, when we received two bills for Ben’s insulin pump supplies at the same time. One was current and the other one the company just failed to send until almost 8 months had gone by. We purchase insulin pump supplies every 90 days and each bill is around $500 (with insurance). You can imagine our concern over receiving two bills at once and then having the company refuse to work with us on a payment plan.
Typically, I can work extra shifts to make up for any extra bills. However, over the last year my job has been less busy and it’s been hit and miss if I would even work my regularly scheduled shifts. When I do work, I work nights, in order to save money on daycare. One night in July, while I was at work Ben’s blood sugar reached a critical low of 19 (normal is 80-130). Luckily, he was able to wake up on his own and get the food he needed to reverse what could have been a tragic ending. These episodes of low blood sugar are preventable and we are working with his doctor to get him a continuous glucose monitor. By getting this vital equipment it can alert Ben and myself if his blood sugar levels are outside of the normal range. But again, that adds another medical expense that we feel we can’t really delay.
And as you know, things always happen in three’s. So as luck would have it, Ben's insulin pump went for a swim! We now have an additional medical expense, in order to replace his insulin pump. We are working with our insurance company but due to the high deductible insurance plan we have through Ben’s work, we have to pay the majority of the cost out of pocket.
The cost of diabetes is not new to our family and it goes far beyond monetary requirements. I am asking for a little help because I have watched Ben give up so much over the years for our family. He has taken on extra jobs, coaches our boys soccer team, and he never turns down an opportunity to help a neighbor or friend. We have been saving any extra money we have so we can take our kids to Disneyland. I know the last thing he would want to see is our kids have to make even more sacrifices because of diabetes.
Thank you!
Janessa
This summer has been quite challenging. It began in June, when we received two bills for Ben’s insulin pump supplies at the same time. One was current and the other one the company just failed to send until almost 8 months had gone by. We purchase insulin pump supplies every 90 days and each bill is around $500 (with insurance). You can imagine our concern over receiving two bills at once and then having the company refuse to work with us on a payment plan.
Typically, I can work extra shifts to make up for any extra bills. However, over the last year my job has been less busy and it’s been hit and miss if I would even work my regularly scheduled shifts. When I do work, I work nights, in order to save money on daycare. One night in July, while I was at work Ben’s blood sugar reached a critical low of 19 (normal is 80-130). Luckily, he was able to wake up on his own and get the food he needed to reverse what could have been a tragic ending. These episodes of low blood sugar are preventable and we are working with his doctor to get him a continuous glucose monitor. By getting this vital equipment it can alert Ben and myself if his blood sugar levels are outside of the normal range. But again, that adds another medical expense that we feel we can’t really delay.
And as you know, things always happen in three’s. So as luck would have it, Ben's insulin pump went for a swim! We now have an additional medical expense, in order to replace his insulin pump. We are working with our insurance company but due to the high deductible insurance plan we have through Ben’s work, we have to pay the majority of the cost out of pocket.
The cost of diabetes is not new to our family and it goes far beyond monetary requirements. I am asking for a little help because I have watched Ben give up so much over the years for our family. He has taken on extra jobs, coaches our boys soccer team, and he never turns down an opportunity to help a neighbor or friend. We have been saving any extra money we have so we can take our kids to Disneyland. I know the last thing he would want to see is our kids have to make even more sacrifices because of diabetes.
Thank you!
Janessa
Organizer
Janessa Whitesides
Organizer
Ogden, UT