
Wanda Wilke - 911 dispatcher - PTSD
Donation protected
I was talking to a friend and found out she had to delay dental work, which affected her health, due to finances.
She has helped people all her life and more; she needs a little help. This is what she told me:
"I was a 911 dispatcher for 8 years in Alabama, the FIRST first responder. Burnout is usually 5 years for a dispatcher, so the fact that I made it to 8 is pretty good. It was an incredibly fulfilling occupation, helping people every day, that calm professional voice at most likely the worst day of your life. I have helped deliver a baby that couldn't wait for the hospital. I have worked through MANY hurricanes, tornadoes, house and business fires, drug deals gone bad when the victim was shot through the door. We both knew he was going to die. I spoke gently of God's love for him, and I can only pray that he accepted God's grace. But the truly worst call I would get would be that of a child, hiding in the closet, cause Daddy was beating the Hell out of Mama. I knew some of these people personally. I was diagnosed with PTSD 3 years later, and like many in my career choice, ended up divorced in a very small community, and the closest family was in Illinois, and jobs were very scarce. I stayed in Alabama because it had become my home and I didn't want to uproot my children.
For 10 years I had no health or dental insurance. At age 16, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism, which is an autoimmune disease that robs me of my energy, thus I can only work 3 days a week, 4 hour days. I have severe anemia, for which I will start to receive transfusions. I have bone loss, which caused a lot of broken bones, including teeth. We are trying to repair 10 years of governmental subsidized medicine. I have had to have all the teeth on my lower right jaw, one tooth on the lower left jaw, and two upper left molars removed. So I have a very small chewing surface.
Because of the Anemia, I have to have transfusions. Recently, I lost my job, and will be applying for disability.
I need $5,000 for the dental work and bridges I need to restore my teeth, as well as living expenses until/if I get disability."
Thank you so much for any support you can give. Sharing this post will also help! Thank you! Michelle Agurkis Deaton.
Fundraising team (2)

Wanda Wilke
Organizer
Spring Hill, TN
Chuck Wilke
Team member