Renie's Cancer Battle

My name is Christine Henderson, and I'm a close friend of Renie and her daughter Hedy.  Renie is from Holland and has been a legal immigrant to the US for over nine years.  A few weeks ago, she was diagnosed with bladder cancer, and she must have surgery to remove the tumor.  I'm a registered nurse and know the medical system well, but after weeks of research, filling out forms, and talking on the phone, we found out that there is no affordable healthcare available for Renie.  The family has already paid out of pocket for lab tests, CT scans, etc.

Renie went to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) on January 9th and consulted with Dr. Kamel, and specialist in bladder cancer.  He will do the surgery on January 31st.

We're now working with UAMS to see if Renie qualifies for the hospital's Financial Hardship Program, but that will take several weeks. 

In the meantime, Renie must pay a deposit of $6000 so that Dr. Kamel will perform the surgery on January 31st.  She cannot wait--the tumor MUST be removed.

Renie is a wonderful lady--funny, loving, and is very involved with her local animal shelter knitting and crocheting items to sell to make money for the homeless animals.  She's worked hard all her life and gave up free healthcare in her home country so that she could be with her daughter, Hedy.  She's scared, not just about the cancer but about the huge demands for money that come with every doctor visit.

Please help so that we can get this life-saving procedure for Renie!