Medical, Funeral Costs helping DaLena Christensen

Asking for and accepting this help is hard for DaLena- she feels much more comfortable being the giver and finds joy in giving to and caring for others. We all have a chance now to show her how strongly we can support her through this time.

Norman Christensen passed away at home, Sunday, Dec 18, 2022, surrounded by family: his wife of 40 years DaLena, his five living children, and his extended family. We all know Norm as a big strong man, a logger, who could do anything and was generous with his time, love and abilities. To lose him is not just emotionally tragic; it leaves this family without their long-time financial provider. It's hard to imagine Snowy Mountain Farms without Norm, all his crazy ideas, and his genuine heartfelt love for people and animals.

Norman and DaLena founded the Swissy breeding program, Snowy Mountain Farms, and have a great love and commitment to the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog and their human Swissy family.

Our help is now needed to get DaLena and the family she supports at Snowy Mountain Farms through the mounting medical bills, and relieve financial stress and pressure as she moves forward without Norman. DaLena faces extensive medical bills from Norman's care, burial costs, and a reduced future income.

Norman has been in the hospital on many occasions recently, for long-term stays. He has experienced heart problems, heart surgeries, minor strokes, memory loss, infections and other serious medical issues. For quite some time now, Norman has been cared for in a hospital bed in the living room of the home, when not in hospital. We have lost count of the shorter in-patient stays, on top of the many long-term stays. Each time, our strong Norman came back, but each time declining a little more. DaLena and her mother Linda, have been Norman's primary caregivers this whole time, while DaLena also works full-time.

The family has medical insurance, but the family's share of medical bills is overwhelming, in the range of $5000 per long-term hospital stay, with many stays currently unbilled to the family and looming. In addition, some stays were provided in a manner where the insurance deemed them not covered. A two-night stay in the hospital would be treated as "under observation" simply due to the room in which he was provided a bed, bypassing normal coverage.

Your donations go directly to DaLena to help her over this huge financial hump, relieving some of the stress and worry that she has going forward as she continues to make her home at their family farm. It's hard enough for DaLena to face moving forward without her rock, the man she has spent 2/3 of her life with (her entire adult life), but she is doing so in the face of crippling expenses. DaLena is easily the most kind, giving and caring person I know, and I'm guessing everyone who reads this can relate. She is the first to give from her own small resources to help someone else. Quick to offer, quick to give.