Even the Strongest of Us Need Help Sometimes

Hi, my name is Melanie. I'm raising money for my mother, Kym Gaspar. As far as I know, my mom has been working since she was 11 years old. For the entire 35 years of her marriage to my father, my mother was the rock of the Gaspar family. She was the sole income earner and took excellent care of her husband and three children. In August of 2018, the unexpected happened…while out enjoying a summer day on the beach, her husband suffered a heart attack and died suddenly. The doctors who performed the autopsy explained that he suffered what they call in medical terms a “widow-maker heart attack.” Ever since that day, the hard-working hero I always knew, my mom, suffered a broken heart. If you know my mom, you know her infamous gorgeous smile. But if you know my mom well, that is her best defense to shield the pain she hides every day since losing her partner and best friend four years ago.

About two weeks ago, during a busy day at work, my mom felt a sharp pain she couldn’t ignore. Atypical of her character, she begged to go to the hospital. At first, she assumed the cause was a simple stomach issue, but when the doctors revealed her diagnosis, it shocked everyone. The doctors diagnosed my mom with an aortic dissection. A tear of the aorta. The doctors explained that the artery was split like a green bean. It seemed she manifested her broken heart.

Upon diagnosis, the doctors, nurses, and staff of Jersey City Medical Center took priority to save my mother. They immediately took her into open-heart surgery. They worked on her for six hours. Those fantastic people saved my mother. She is home now, weary but recovering. My mom, siblings, and I are grateful to Jersey City Medical Center staff, our aunts, cousins, significant others, family friends, and God.

While I know the financial climate we all live in right now is incredibly tense, it pains me to ask for help on behalf of my mother, but it is very much needed. The doctors prescribed my mom to have weekly nurse visits and physical therapy twice a week. Unfortunately, because of the costs to her insurance, she was denied both treatments, which hindered my mom’s ability to recover fully. Despite feeling unwell, my mom hoped to return to work as soon as she was medically cleared. However, as she attempted to inquire about her return to work, the company she worked for released her from her position. My mom is now considering living on reduced income through temporary disability until she fully recovers, which may take as long as a year.

Although my mom attempts to manage her day-to-day expenses using her savings, she needs financial aid. While waiting for disability, her medical situation has cost her a bill of over 3000 dollars. Additionally, her cost of living is becoming increasingly challenging to afford. Her health emergency and the new financial challenge have become overwhelming for her. These issues are compounding on one another. With the help of donations, my mom will be able to maintain her living expenses and impending medical costs as well. If possible, please share this story and know that the entire Gaspar family would highly appreciate any denomination towards this cause. All forms of help you provide to my mother, Kym Gaspar, will support a strong woman stuck in an unexpected vulnerable position of struggling to support herself. God Bless! Thank you for your kindness and consideration in helping my mother.