Retired First Responder and RN in need of help

A First Responder Desperately Needs Your Help!




Betty has lived a life of public service serving others and now is in desperate need of our help to continue her medical insurance!  Betty has filed for disability, which has her jumping through hoops trying to get
approval while threatening her ability to pay her Cobra premium for her medical coverage and trying to
keep a roof over her head. She has applied for disability and has been turned down for it. Now she has
been forced to file an appeal and hire an attorney to fight for approval.  Betty’s physicians have gone
above and beyond to understand her conditions and find the most appropriate treatment.
Potentially losing the ability to see those select doctors to Medicaid (which may happen in the future)
would be devastating. Betty has been knocked down but, continues getting up trying to remain in her
dedicated profession in any way that she can. Her pension is $1,000 a month, her COBRA is $700
a month, and she needs our help just making ends meet. Even $5.00 will help!! Please consider helping a
true career public servant always helping others first.   




1980: Betty started work as a Phlebotomist and started at a Fire/Rescue as an EMT-Basic. 

1982: Completed paramedic school. 

1987: Started in dispatch at a multi-jurisdictional 9-1-1 dispatch center located in suburban Chicago. 

1992: Betty started at Flight for Life McHenry Base as a Flight Paramedic and held all required 

Certifications: ACLS, BTLS, PALS and NRP. 2001 she had to leave that job due to her Asthma/Reactive Airway Disease deemed it was no longer safe for her to fly. 

1999: Started a Nursing program and graduated in June of 2001.

2001: She started working as a RN and worked in Emergency Department, Angioplasty Unit and then the CICU. 

2004: She found herself having to go on disability the first time due to Steroid Myopathy. Her muscles
were being destroyed by the years of Steroids use that she had to take for her Asthma.

2008: Betty was able to take a job as a at home Phone Triage RN

2019:Betty was forced to give up working. Due to Stroke, RAD, Antiphosphoid Lipid Syndrome RARE
Autoimmune Disease. 

2020: 2/2020 Diagnosed with Sjogren's Syndrome her 7th Autoimmune Disease. 




Volunteer Work:

2008- present: Creator and Co-Founder of the Every Day Heroes - Blood Donor Program. This is a year round program to help increase the Greater Chicago land blood supply. Summer Challenge runs May through September our blood drives include a lunch to thank our donors and participating Fire Department's and Organizations. Our Holiday Heroes period runs from December through the end of January. During this time Life Source awards double points for donations. Throughout the year we have “Know the Code!” Each Department is given a code and each unit donated with that code counts towards the FD totals. We have had exponential donor growth ranging from 300% the 2nd year to 41% in the 4th year. In our 5th year, we awarded $16,500.00 in Scholarships through the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association. 


As of July 1st of 2011, Life Source has collaborated with the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association Scholarship Program (5013C) - and will donate money based on the points pooled to the Scholarship program. The first Scholarships were awarded May of 2012.

For the Fiscal Years 2013 to 2016 our program placed second overall in Life Sources Top 20 Group of Donors for the Greater Chicagoland area!

For the Fiscal Year 2017 our program placed third overall in Life Sources Top 20 Groups of Donors for the Greater Chicagoland area. 




2009 - present: Betty started volunteering with Operation North Pole. A 501(c)3 Charity that takes terminally ill and seriously ill children on a fantasy trip to the North Pole. 

www.operationnorthpole.org 




Medically:

Reactive Airway Disease/Asthma 




11/2017: Betty developed Pneumonia, Sepsis and Dehydration. This is the event that the physicians feel triggered the Primary Antiphosphoid Lipid Syndrome. 




5/6/2018: Betty had a stroke effecting her Right side. Thankfully, she was awake and knew what was going on and was able to call 911. 




6/2019:  Betty had second neurologic event and a Stroke was ruled out but Betty was diagnosed with APS. Over the past year, she has failed on the 2 primary blood thinners. 

2/10/2020:  Diagnosed with Sjogrens Disease.