Help a Chaplain with Long-Term CoVid Diagnosis

Karen Freeburg is organizing this fundraiser.

How many of us would have left our homes almost every day during the height of the CoVid epidemic in order to walk into a hospital? Who is it that encouraged and prayed with hospitalized CoVid victims who were frightened by the possibility of death and paralyzed by the unknown? Who held the hands of family members waiting fretfully in the parking lot as their loved ones took their last painful breaths?

Many first responders, and chaplains, did this heroic work. One of these heroes is a friend and colleague, Rev. Dr. Karen Boucher. Karen is a Northern Seminary Master of Divinity and doctoral graduate.

Karen not only worked as a chaplain during the two worst years of CoVid (at St. Mary's Hospital in Saginaw, MI), but she also served as a hospice chaplain, visiting the patient homes of those receiving end of life care.

What makes Karen's situation unusual is that she contracted CoVid three times from her patients. The third incident left her with what is rapidly becoming known in the medical community as "Long-Term CoVid."

What does this mean? This means that Karen's pulse oxygen level is so low that she can barely walk. She has short-term memory issues, brain fog, frequent exhaustion, and debilitating leg weakness and pain.

Karen is part of a research study at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, but no one in the medical community has any idea as to how long these symptoms are going to last in those persons who have Long-Term CoVid symptoms diagnoses.

I am asking if you will assist me in paying for Karen to have a ramp built at her house.

Why will it be difficult for Karen to fund her own ramp?

She has not been able to work for over a year.
She no longer qualifies for unemployment insurance.
She applied for disability insurance over six months ago and has yet to receive a decision.
Finally, the numerous social service agencies in her community are so backed up with requests for ramps that they cannot guarantee when they might get around to her request for help.

My husband and I are giving the first $500 toward the needed ramp. Will you please consider joining us in raising the $5,000 needed for ramp materials and labor? We are moving forward in faith, and the ramp is being built this week, thanks to Scout Master, friend, and contractor, Cliff Aldridge. He's a good man!

Thank you for considering this gift.

-Dr. Karen Walker Freeburg