Hello!

My name is Robert, and I am here to advocate and tell the story of a beautiful and selfless person who deserves to smile bright for Christmas this year. This is Robin S.

Robin is a dear friend and co-worker who works with our retired and elderly community guiding them through the complications of their healthcare plans, answering questions, and ensuring that they're getting the most out of their benefits. Robin makes it her mission to make people smile whether through her work with our members or with the others on our team.

Robin is the person that comes in early to decorate everyone's desk on their birthday and make them feel special. Robin is the one to organize gifts when someone is out sick. Robin is the one that leaves that little sticky on your screen with a big smile and note underneath saying "Have a great day ”.

At an early age, she was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, which if you have familiarity with you know comes with its fair share of struggles and limitations on diet. Besides Crohn’s Robin has lived a long and healthy life until last year when she was diagnosed with Lupus which brought on a roller coaster of life-changing side effects which has altered her life forever.

First I’d like to give you some background on Lupus and the toll it takes on the body. Lupus is an inflammatory disease caused when the immune system attacks its own tissues which can affect the joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart, and lungs. Symptoms can vary but can include fatigue, joint pain, rash, fever, and progress to nephritis and have a severe and direct effect on the skin, joints, and teeth.

In Robin’s case, Lupus hit her hard. The disease riddled her immediately with severe periodontitis causing her teeth to decay rapidly. Her skin flared with rashes preventing her from going outside due to UV sensitivity, and her digestive system continues to give her new trouble day over day with foods she used to enjoy.

Most recently the doctor approached Robin to discuss options in which the only option for her was a full mouth extraction removing 26 beautiful and once healthy teeth. Teeth so healthy that Robin hasn’t had the need for dental insurance in years. With hopes of assistance, she turned to her health insurance plan praying it would be covered as a medical condition. Her health insurance denied the claim in the end stating that the extractions weren't medically necessary

2 complications and 3 procedures later Robin, by the grace of God and a wonderful dentist, now has a beautiful smile that fits her and she is proud of. Unfortunately, the cost of dealing with life's curveball for Robin has been steeper than she could have ever imagined. Now Robin faces the debt of 2 surgeries, a set of dentures, and countless medications. To put the icing on the cake this has taken Robin from her work for over 2 weeks now while she recovers. She is struggling to make the payments of the outrageous payment plan forced on her over a period of 12 months on a $6,200.00 bill.

This is an amazingly selfless woman who is recently separated from her partner and unfortunately doesn’t have family that she can lean on. She needs some love. Please help us in making Robin whole again. Help us help someone who lives to serve others.

Thank you.