Hi everyone. My name is Asia, and I’m writing this on behalf of my mom, Meka Barringer, who is without a doubt the kindest, most hardworking, and selfless person I know. Over the past year, she’s faced serious medical challenges, including end-stage kidney disease, dialysis, and a recent leg amputation. Through all of this, she has tried her level best to remain optimistic, but it’s all been incredibly difficult to cope with. This fundraiser is meant to help her manage medical and living expenses so she can finally focus on resting and recovering.

Her Story

My mom has lived with chronic kidney disease for years now. In October of last year, she was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease and began in-center hemodialysis. And while she’s always pushed through every hardship that’s come her way, this past year has brought more physical and emotional fatigue than anyone should have to endure.

Last December, she underwent knee replacement surgery to restore her mobility after years of pain. But it wasn’t until months later that her doctors discovered a severe infection had been festering since the surgery—damaging the implant and her bones and causing her crippling pain every day. Despite multiple attempts to save the knee, complications led to the devastating decision to amputate her right leg to save her life. For some perspective on what this loss has been like for her, her doctors explained to me that losing a limb is a level of grief akin to losing a close family member.

As if that weren’t enough, my mom is currently non-weightbearing on her left leg due to a broken foot that has progressed into Charcot foot and will most likely also require amputation.

Through all of this—dialysis, home health visits, physical therapy, and countless medical appointments for a slew of problems—my mom has exhausted her savings and PTO. She has already returned to work far sooner than her body can really allow, simply to stay afloat financially, even though rest and recovery are paramount right now.

We’ve recently applied for medical retirement, so she may eventually be able to step back from work, but the process takes months, isn’t guaranteed, and would reduce her income while expenses remain. She also applied for critical illness coverage she’s paid into for years, but due to insurance technicalities around diagnosis dates and policy changes, she was denied.

This is incredibly hard to share. My mom is fiercely independent and finds it very difficult to ask for help herself, which is why I’m writing this instead. But we’ve reached a point where we can’t do this alone.

How Your Support Will Help

Our goal of $35,000 will help cover my mom’s medical bills, recovery needs, and essential living expenses so she can focus on healing and regaining financial stability. Funds will go toward:

A Personal Note

I’ve never seen my mom so worn down and despondent. But I’ve also never seen someone fight so hard to keep going. A few months ago, she told me, half-jokingly, “If I make it to 50, it’ll be a miracle.”

I’m asking for help with that miracle.

Any donation, no matter the size, will ease an enormous burden and give my mom the chance to focus on healing without the constant pressure of financial strain. Even if you’re unable to donate, sharing this fundraiser would mean the world to me!

Thank you for reading, for caring, and for supporting my mom during the hardest year of her life.

All the best,

Asia

P.S. Here's a recent picture of my mom with my twin brother. :)