Rally For Rihanny
Donation protected
Website: www.rallyforrihanny.com
Facebook: @rallyforrihanny
#rallyforrihanny
My Purpose Behind the Passion:
The Hensels are amazing friends of mine, who have exhausted all available resources to support Rihanny financially with her medical expenses. That is the reason I am opening up the power of this platform to support one very special little girl, and to help my friends with the out-of-pocket financial burdens of the medical care required to keep her alive. Removing this barrier can allow them to continue to focus on Rihanny, her healing, education and staying connected with her father. Most importantly, our support will allow Rihanny to stay here in the U.S. to get the treatment she so desperately needs to stay alive.
Prior to reaching out for support, my dear friends explored all avenues from adoption, to state-funded insurance, adding her to their insurance, etc. with no success. All of her medical bills are not covered by insurance, and have been completely paid out-of-pocket by the Hensels. The medical expenses for sickle cell disease entail ER visits, doctor visits, medication, test monitoring and hospital stays. The disease itself is so unpredictable, and there will always be ongoing medical treatment that Rihanny will need to receive for the rest of her life. The cost is too large of a burden for anyone to keep up with, yet the care is so incredibly critical for sweet Rihanny.
There are countless people in this world who have used this platform to donate from their heart to assist well deserving families with medical expenses. Let's now use this platform to spread the word about Rihanny and show her the support she deserves. All funds raised will go directly to Rihanny's medical bills and her visits to the amazing doctors and healthcare providers at MUSC Children's Hospital. The Hensels are in the process of setting up a foundation, and it is their hope and desire, that Rally for Rihanny will be the catalyst for a long-term mission to support other children with sickle cell disease in the Lowcountry and beyond.
I thank you so much in advance for opening up your heart to this child. No amount is too small. “Alone we can do so little; Together we can do so much!”
A team of local friends and supporters are rallying together to support Rihanny. Will you join us? Let's help the Hensels pay it forward and Rally for Rihanny! God bless!
Rihanny's Story:
In June 2014, Michele and her husband, Dr. Jack Hensel visited Bananarama Dive and Beach Resort in Roatan. Believe it or not, they found this amazing island on Groupon! Upon arrival, they were picked up by travel guide Steven Hamilton and got the chance to meet his daughter Rihanny. What followed were days of rest and relaxation, where the Hensel children included Rihanny in sand castle making and dips in the sea.
“We have traveled all over, but this was the one place that we really fell in love with,” said Michele Hensel. “The people and the place just seemed so inviting. At the end of our week, we exchanged info and promised to keep in touch.”
A few months after the Hensels returned to the States, tragedy struck when Michele’s father lost his life in a motorcycle accident and that same week Dr. Hensel diagnosed Michele's best friend with Metastatic Melanoma who lost her battle at age 47. The Hensels packed their bags and returned to Roatán, looking for peace and serenity. On this trip, they learned young Rihanny had been struggling with her health since birth. Her symptoms were being treated, but she remained undiagnosed.
The Hensels returned to their home in Charleston, South Carolina, but Steve and Rihanny remained on their minds. After completing a 2016 mission trip to the mainland of Honduras with their church, the Hensels learned Rihanny’s health was declining. They made it a priority to once again travel to Roatán to take her to get the proper testing necessary to uncover just what this ailment was. Extensive lab results revealed Rihanny had sickle cell anemia.
The Hensels felt the overwhelming call to help this little girl and started to take the necessary steps to bring Rihanny to the States both for treatment and schooling.
“This is such a treatable disease in our country but not in Roatán,” said Hensel. “Her doctor stated that there was nothing else he could do for her there, but he would write a letter to the embassy to see about getting her to the States for medical care.”
The Hensels quickly went into action mode, writing letters to help Rihanny secure a passport to come to the United States. While many of her days in Roatán where marked by hospital visits, she now is improving, growing stronger and adjusting to life in the States, but this does not discount the fact that Sickle Cell is a very unpredictable disease. She has since been hospitalized twice in less than a year.
“The most positive impact is knowing that you are helping someone remain healthy and happy,” she continued. “The negative impact is that we are unable to get any type of insurance for her, so all of her hefty medical expenses are out-of-pocket. We have searched high and low for a way to get her insured, but have not found any resources.”
“The true angel in this story is Rihanny’s father,” said Hensel. “He loves her so much but was willing to sacrifice seeing her daily to help her get well and be educated.”
While Rihanny looks forward to the day she can be reunited with her dad, for now, she cherishes living the life of a typical Mount Pleasant 9-year-old, playing with her siblings and splashing in the waves on Sullivan’s Island.
She's a typical little girl in many ways. What's not typical about Rihanny is she's one of the 1-in-250 million worldwide who suffers from sickle cell anemia, according to health experts. It’s a rare and painful blood disease, but one Rihanny has lived with since her birth on the tiny island Roatan, off the coast of Honduras.
"We have searched high and low. We can’t get her on our insurance. I’ve fought the fight. We are clearly at a crossroads,” says Michele.
Dr. Hensel says children's hospitals like St. Jude’s aren't feasible for Rihanny's case, either.
“The difficulty with that is that (St. Jude's) is not local, so when she gets sick, for her to travel is dangerous and risky," says Dr. Hensel. "The biggest issue is distance.”
The Hensels say they don't have big enough pockets to continue paying medical costs, but say sending her back to Honduras would be too much to bear.
“The risk of her going back there is her getting sick and worse, and so it really tears at your heart to have that as an option,” says Dr. Hensel.
They have also reached out to Senator Tim Scott's office to find out how Rihanny can be covered.
Media:
https://abcnews4.com/news/local/help-needed-for-girl-9-with-sickle-cell-anemia-whos-been-denied-health-coverage?fbclid=IwAR2b4T86Pq0bCK19ZYzXdo_zMf4tp2agJ_sTiaiqbIrVRmTLDEbKSGBK3Qk
http://mountpleasantmagazine.com/2017/people/peace-serenity-sacrifice-rihanny-hamiltons-story/?fbclid=IwAR274lx50bXM7pwPIpnlAdYPUf0Qr_otlkwFHhd6N-zREZiR8Mm2Un0aDG8
https://y1025.iheart.com/featured/brian-cleary/content/2019-03-13-you-can-help-a-lowcountry-child/
Facebook: @rallyforrihanny
#rallyforrihanny
My Purpose Behind the Passion:
The Hensels are amazing friends of mine, who have exhausted all available resources to support Rihanny financially with her medical expenses. That is the reason I am opening up the power of this platform to support one very special little girl, and to help my friends with the out-of-pocket financial burdens of the medical care required to keep her alive. Removing this barrier can allow them to continue to focus on Rihanny, her healing, education and staying connected with her father. Most importantly, our support will allow Rihanny to stay here in the U.S. to get the treatment she so desperately needs to stay alive.
Prior to reaching out for support, my dear friends explored all avenues from adoption, to state-funded insurance, adding her to their insurance, etc. with no success. All of her medical bills are not covered by insurance, and have been completely paid out-of-pocket by the Hensels. The medical expenses for sickle cell disease entail ER visits, doctor visits, medication, test monitoring and hospital stays. The disease itself is so unpredictable, and there will always be ongoing medical treatment that Rihanny will need to receive for the rest of her life. The cost is too large of a burden for anyone to keep up with, yet the care is so incredibly critical for sweet Rihanny.
There are countless people in this world who have used this platform to donate from their heart to assist well deserving families with medical expenses. Let's now use this platform to spread the word about Rihanny and show her the support she deserves. All funds raised will go directly to Rihanny's medical bills and her visits to the amazing doctors and healthcare providers at MUSC Children's Hospital. The Hensels are in the process of setting up a foundation, and it is their hope and desire, that Rally for Rihanny will be the catalyst for a long-term mission to support other children with sickle cell disease in the Lowcountry and beyond.
I thank you so much in advance for opening up your heart to this child. No amount is too small. “Alone we can do so little; Together we can do so much!”
A team of local friends and supporters are rallying together to support Rihanny. Will you join us? Let's help the Hensels pay it forward and Rally for Rihanny! God bless!
Rihanny's Story:
In June 2014, Michele and her husband, Dr. Jack Hensel visited Bananarama Dive and Beach Resort in Roatan. Believe it or not, they found this amazing island on Groupon! Upon arrival, they were picked up by travel guide Steven Hamilton and got the chance to meet his daughter Rihanny. What followed were days of rest and relaxation, where the Hensel children included Rihanny in sand castle making and dips in the sea.
“We have traveled all over, but this was the one place that we really fell in love with,” said Michele Hensel. “The people and the place just seemed so inviting. At the end of our week, we exchanged info and promised to keep in touch.”
A few months after the Hensels returned to the States, tragedy struck when Michele’s father lost his life in a motorcycle accident and that same week Dr. Hensel diagnosed Michele's best friend with Metastatic Melanoma who lost her battle at age 47. The Hensels packed their bags and returned to Roatán, looking for peace and serenity. On this trip, they learned young Rihanny had been struggling with her health since birth. Her symptoms were being treated, but she remained undiagnosed.
The Hensels returned to their home in Charleston, South Carolina, but Steve and Rihanny remained on their minds. After completing a 2016 mission trip to the mainland of Honduras with their church, the Hensels learned Rihanny’s health was declining. They made it a priority to once again travel to Roatán to take her to get the proper testing necessary to uncover just what this ailment was. Extensive lab results revealed Rihanny had sickle cell anemia.
The Hensels felt the overwhelming call to help this little girl and started to take the necessary steps to bring Rihanny to the States both for treatment and schooling.
“This is such a treatable disease in our country but not in Roatán,” said Hensel. “Her doctor stated that there was nothing else he could do for her there, but he would write a letter to the embassy to see about getting her to the States for medical care.”
The Hensels quickly went into action mode, writing letters to help Rihanny secure a passport to come to the United States. While many of her days in Roatán where marked by hospital visits, she now is improving, growing stronger and adjusting to life in the States, but this does not discount the fact that Sickle Cell is a very unpredictable disease. She has since been hospitalized twice in less than a year.
“The most positive impact is knowing that you are helping someone remain healthy and happy,” she continued. “The negative impact is that we are unable to get any type of insurance for her, so all of her hefty medical expenses are out-of-pocket. We have searched high and low for a way to get her insured, but have not found any resources.”
“The true angel in this story is Rihanny’s father,” said Hensel. “He loves her so much but was willing to sacrifice seeing her daily to help her get well and be educated.”
While Rihanny looks forward to the day she can be reunited with her dad, for now, she cherishes living the life of a typical Mount Pleasant 9-year-old, playing with her siblings and splashing in the waves on Sullivan’s Island.
She's a typical little girl in many ways. What's not typical about Rihanny is she's one of the 1-in-250 million worldwide who suffers from sickle cell anemia, according to health experts. It’s a rare and painful blood disease, but one Rihanny has lived with since her birth on the tiny island Roatan, off the coast of Honduras.
"We have searched high and low. We can’t get her on our insurance. I’ve fought the fight. We are clearly at a crossroads,” says Michele.
Dr. Hensel says children's hospitals like St. Jude’s aren't feasible for Rihanny's case, either.
“The difficulty with that is that (St. Jude's) is not local, so when she gets sick, for her to travel is dangerous and risky," says Dr. Hensel. "The biggest issue is distance.”
The Hensels say they don't have big enough pockets to continue paying medical costs, but say sending her back to Honduras would be too much to bear.
“The risk of her going back there is her getting sick and worse, and so it really tears at your heart to have that as an option,” says Dr. Hensel.
They have also reached out to Senator Tim Scott's office to find out how Rihanny can be covered.
Media:
https://abcnews4.com/news/local/help-needed-for-girl-9-with-sickle-cell-anemia-whos-been-denied-health-coverage?fbclid=IwAR2b4T86Pq0bCK19ZYzXdo_zMf4tp2agJ_sTiaiqbIrVRmTLDEbKSGBK3Qk
http://mountpleasantmagazine.com/2017/people/peace-serenity-sacrifice-rihanny-hamiltons-story/?fbclid=IwAR274lx50bXM7pwPIpnlAdYPUf0Qr_otlkwFHhd6N-zREZiR8Mm2Un0aDG8
https://y1025.iheart.com/featured/brian-cleary/content/2019-03-13-you-can-help-a-lowcountry-child/
Organizer and beneficiary
Sadie Calpas
Organizer
Charleston, SC
Michele Hensel
Beneficiary
