In 2019 diabetes began to ravage Roxanna's body. She began to lose sight in her first eye due to diabetic retinotopy. Shortly after that, she began to lose sight in her other eye. Next, the disease began affecting her bones and both of her feet collapsed. Then her organs began to be affected and Roxanna ended up in end-stage kidney failure. By 2021, a blood clot was found in her lower leg which resulted in her left leg being amputated just above the knee.

 

Thanks to medical treatments, today Roxanna retains about 50% vision in one eye even though she has lost sight in the other. She continues to have shots every 6 weeks to keep her vision at its current level. Her kidneys are still barely functioning and she requires dialysis 3 times a week. Doctors were also able to reconstruct her remaining foot and fit her other leg for a prosthetic. However, to begin to learn to use the prosthetic, Roxanna needs to travel to physical therapy multiple times per week.

 

Because of her age, Roxanna is not old enough to qualify for transportation assistance through Medicare, so she has to rely on her aging mother, Emilce, to transport her to all of her appointments. Through all of the transferring in and out of the car, Emilce has torn tendons in her wrist and injured her knee. In spite of this, she continues to care for her daughter.

 

We are trying to raise funds to purchase a handicap-accessible vehicle for Roxanna and her family. This would enable her to make it safely to all of her appointments and treatments, helping to point her towards a better future. Roxanna has been committed and connected to the Vineyard for nearly a decade. Even throughout her medical pains of the past 3 years, she has continued to serve as she is able and become an active part of our Online Church services.