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JoanMcDaniel

Especially in times of trouble . . .

Joan J. McDaniel, 1974 Delta Gamma initiate, Delta Rho-Virginia Tech, was orphaned while still in high school. Having no siblings, she lived with an aunt until entering college. After college and a heartbreaking divorce, she worked for many years in the state of Florida, earning a good salary with health care benefits. In 1994, Joan was diagnosed with Acute Spasmodic Torticollis, a form of Parkinson’s disease, and has suffered since with this progressive, debilitating malady. In 2006, her Delta Rho sisters found out that she was about to lose her government subsidized apartment and often went without food and bare necessities. Since that time, she has applied for and received SSDI and food stamps and Delta Rho’s around the country have donated to help Joan. This progressive disease has robbed a bright, intelligent, and productive women of her life and she lives in excruciating pain every minute of every day. This could be me . . . it could be you! It came on slowly and has escalated to the point where she has trouble dressing, cooking, sleeping, or doing other activities that you and I take for granted every day! There is a treatment endorsed by the National Parkinson’s Foundation that helps to ease, not eliminate, this pain but it is expensive and SSDI nor Medicaid will cover the entire cost. Joan receives shots of botulinum toxin directly into her neck muscles in four areas which, after a week of being physically ill, helps to relieve the pain by causing flaccid paralysis and halts the persistent muscle contractions that pull from her head down to her shoulder. Unfortunately, the cost of each treatment is $10,000+! Joan’s final cost is much less, anywhere from $300-$450 depending on how much she is given, but even that reduced amount every 3 months is so much more that she can afford. Her SSDI is $1110/month, food stamps $129/month and expenses per month are: Government subsidized apartment, $691, water (billed through the apartment management) $50-$80, electricity $100, car insurance $73.33, gasoline is usually more than $50. Total expenses: $974.33 leaving $264.67 for extra food, cleaning products, clothing, maintenance/needed repairs on an older model car, and other necessities. Can you help a sister in need? WE are the only family she has! Please Do Good and render assistance to this Delta Gamma!
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Donations 

  • Beverly Goss
    • $250 
    • 5 yrs
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Organizer

Beth Brown
Organizer
Christiansburg, VA

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