My name is Lynette and so often I have felt this strong desire to help those in need...they are all around us..yet I don't always feel I do enough. I'm sure others can relate. So my goal is to start a LOVE ACTION MISSION. Helping others because we are called to give from our hearts and love others as we have been loved.
My first calling and campaign is called BRING HOME MY FRIEND'S DAD~ALEX KREMER. This is for my friend, Agi Sullivan's who has children attend school where my kids aslo attend, St. Maria Goretti. My hope is that when you read her story of what happened to her father recently, that it will touch your heart the way it has mine and that you too will want to reach out and help in any small or big way that you can.
Here is Agi's Story:
My father, Alex Kremer, had a stroke on May 28, 2015 while traveling to Subotica, Serbia for his 50th high school reunion. This is town located on the border of Hungry on the Serbian side of the border. My dad has dealt with health issues over the past year and also has stood by our mother's side as she continues her battle with cancer with aggressive chemotherapy. Although we were hesitant to see him leave, he did receive medical clearance from his doctors and we gave him our blessing to visit his homeland one last time.
However due to this stroke, my dad is lying in a hospital in Serbia. The healthcare system in Serbia is poor. We NEED to get him home in order to access the extent of damage and determine a rehabilitation plan.
Initially, there was very little communication between our family and our dad. I was able to speak to him over the phone but his speech is impaired. He mumbled and cried. He also has some paralysis on one side of his face. We have reached out to so many different organizations (Red Cross, the US Embassy to name just a few), but each time we hit some huge obstacle. We do know that the Hungarian Embassy did visit my dad at the hospital.
I decided to book a flight to find a way home. The day I was to leave, a doctor who has been caring for my father, called my mother and volunteered to travel back to the states with him. It was the first sign of HOPE we had in days. Since then, my father is in a much better mood and he has Skyped with my mother. He knows that we are working night and day to get him back and this provides my father with hope.
With the help of his cousin who lives two hours away in Budapest, another angel in this story, along with the doctor who has agreed to escort my father home, we have been working on an evacuation plan.
As of last night, an ambulance ride was set up for my dad from Serbia to Vienna. The doctor and I, in conjuction with the airlines, completed medical forms for a direct stretcher flight to Chicago from Vienna. We found out this morning, that the flight was approved but the first available stretcher flight is not till June 28th! This was a huge setback as my dad should have already received therapy by now. In addition, we continue to incur costs related to his stay in Serbia. After a discussion with the doctor, he agreed to a sleeper first class ticket for my dad. It is risky however the risk of him continuing to stay in Serbia is much greater. The doctor will bring medical equipment and medications to administer to my dad throughout the flight. At this point, my dad is stable to fly.
As of late this morning, I booked flights for both the doctor and my father. Unfortunately, the closest direct flight is from Munich as switching airplanes is not an option. He will now have to take an twelve hour ambulance ride to Munich for his flight. The flight is scheduled to leave this Tuesday, June 9th and will arrive in Chicago the same day (time difference).
I will now shift to coordinating his transport to a hospital in Chicago. In addition, I am working with friends in our close-knit Hungarian Community to make sure that we have accommodations for the doctor during his stay.
We are paying everything out of pocket-- hospital bills, ambulance, flights, and of course expenses and compensation for the doctor. My parents support my sister who is legally disabled due to a brain trauma. As a result, they have limited financial resources and what I'm learning this week that the resources is much less than I had thought.
Once he arrives in the US, his benefits will kick in although they will still have out of pocket expenses depending on the long term prognosis and stroke rehabilitation. We have spent $10,000 for flights. In addition, there will be approximately $2000- $3,000 charge for the ambulance ride from Serbia to Munich. In addition, we will have to compensate the doctor and pay medical treatment during the flight and continue to pay for hospital bills. When said and done, without any additional complications, we are looking at at least $16-$18,000 as we are learning of more expenses that we had no idea about. We are already maxing out our credit cards.
SO...how can you help??
1. Prayers. There is power in prayer and believing and trusting in a higher power.
2. Your financial support. If it is at all laid on your heart to give, we can only say THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts.
3. Sharing this with your friends and family.
My first calling and campaign is called BRING HOME MY FRIEND'S DAD~ALEX KREMER. This is for my friend, Agi Sullivan's who has children attend school where my kids aslo attend, St. Maria Goretti. My hope is that when you read her story of what happened to her father recently, that it will touch your heart the way it has mine and that you too will want to reach out and help in any small or big way that you can.
Here is Agi's Story:
My father, Alex Kremer, had a stroke on May 28, 2015 while traveling to Subotica, Serbia for his 50th high school reunion. This is town located on the border of Hungry on the Serbian side of the border. My dad has dealt with health issues over the past year and also has stood by our mother's side as she continues her battle with cancer with aggressive chemotherapy. Although we were hesitant to see him leave, he did receive medical clearance from his doctors and we gave him our blessing to visit his homeland one last time.
However due to this stroke, my dad is lying in a hospital in Serbia. The healthcare system in Serbia is poor. We NEED to get him home in order to access the extent of damage and determine a rehabilitation plan.
Initially, there was very little communication between our family and our dad. I was able to speak to him over the phone but his speech is impaired. He mumbled and cried. He also has some paralysis on one side of his face. We have reached out to so many different organizations (Red Cross, the US Embassy to name just a few), but each time we hit some huge obstacle. We do know that the Hungarian Embassy did visit my dad at the hospital.
I decided to book a flight to find a way home. The day I was to leave, a doctor who has been caring for my father, called my mother and volunteered to travel back to the states with him. It was the first sign of HOPE we had in days. Since then, my father is in a much better mood and he has Skyped with my mother. He knows that we are working night and day to get him back and this provides my father with hope.
With the help of his cousin who lives two hours away in Budapest, another angel in this story, along with the doctor who has agreed to escort my father home, we have been working on an evacuation plan.
As of last night, an ambulance ride was set up for my dad from Serbia to Vienna. The doctor and I, in conjuction with the airlines, completed medical forms for a direct stretcher flight to Chicago from Vienna. We found out this morning, that the flight was approved but the first available stretcher flight is not till June 28th! This was a huge setback as my dad should have already received therapy by now. In addition, we continue to incur costs related to his stay in Serbia. After a discussion with the doctor, he agreed to a sleeper first class ticket for my dad. It is risky however the risk of him continuing to stay in Serbia is much greater. The doctor will bring medical equipment and medications to administer to my dad throughout the flight. At this point, my dad is stable to fly.
As of late this morning, I booked flights for both the doctor and my father. Unfortunately, the closest direct flight is from Munich as switching airplanes is not an option. He will now have to take an twelve hour ambulance ride to Munich for his flight. The flight is scheduled to leave this Tuesday, June 9th and will arrive in Chicago the same day (time difference).
I will now shift to coordinating his transport to a hospital in Chicago. In addition, I am working with friends in our close-knit Hungarian Community to make sure that we have accommodations for the doctor during his stay.
We are paying everything out of pocket-- hospital bills, ambulance, flights, and of course expenses and compensation for the doctor. My parents support my sister who is legally disabled due to a brain trauma. As a result, they have limited financial resources and what I'm learning this week that the resources is much less than I had thought.
Once he arrives in the US, his benefits will kick in although they will still have out of pocket expenses depending on the long term prognosis and stroke rehabilitation. We have spent $10,000 for flights. In addition, there will be approximately $2000- $3,000 charge for the ambulance ride from Serbia to Munich. In addition, we will have to compensate the doctor and pay medical treatment during the flight and continue to pay for hospital bills. When said and done, without any additional complications, we are looking at at least $16-$18,000 as we are learning of more expenses that we had no idea about. We are already maxing out our credit cards.
SO...how can you help??
1. Prayers. There is power in prayer and believing and trusting in a higher power.
2. Your financial support. If it is at all laid on your heart to give, we can only say THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts.
3. Sharing this with your friends and family.