RUTH WOLFGRAM'S FIGHT!

IN DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR (2016) RUTH BECAME EXTREMELY ILL AND DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG. SHE HAD SEVERE ABDOMINAL PAIN, EXHAUSTION, SLEEP DIFFICULTIES, ORANGE SKIN, YELLOW EYES AND HER URINE BECAME DARK ORANGE.  SHE  DEVELOPED EXTREME ITCHING OVER EVERY INCH OF HER BODY. SHE WENT TO THE HOSPITAL AND WAS TOLD THAT SHE HAD HEPATITIS WITH LIVER DAMAGE, CIRRHOSIS. THEY COULDN'T FIND ANY REASON THAT THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED SO SUDDENLY!

AFTER MULTIPLE LENGTHY HOSPITALIZATIONS SINCE THEN AND A TRIP TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, THEY STILL ARE ONLY GUESSING. SHE'S UNDERGONE EVERY IMAGING STUDY, PROCEDURE AND BLOOD TEST POSSIBLE AND IT CONTINUES TO BE A MYSTERY.

HOSPITALIZATION LOCALLY HAS NOTHING TO OFFER HER ANY LONGER OTHER THAN SUPPORTIVE CARE WITH FLUIDS AND PAIN MEDICATION.

,  HER SYMPTOMS CONTINUE ALMOST DAILY.  SHE NEEDS TO CONTINUE GOING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SO THAT THEY CAN ATTEMPT TO DISCOVER WHY THIS HAS HAPPENED AND, HOPEFULLY, FIND SOME KIND OF TREATMENT FOR HER. RUTH IS VERY ILL MOST OF THE TIME AND THIS HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED HER LIFE.

RUTH HAS 7 AWESOME GRANDCHILDREN AND HER DREAM IS TO BE ABLE TO SPEND TIME WITH THEM AND SEE THEM GROW UP!   HER BEAUTIFUL YOUNGEST DAUGHTER IS RAISING HER 3 YEAR  OLD SON AND THEY LIVE TOGETHER TO SHARE EXPENSES AND BE A FAMILY, BUT FINANCES ARE EXTREMELY TIGHT!!

FOUR OF HER GRANDKIDS ARE IN ENSENADA, MEXICO, WITH MOM AND DAD WORKING AS MISSIONARIES AT AN ORPHANAGE!! 

HER OLDEST DAUGHTER WAS IN THE U.S. ARMY AND CAME HOME FROM OVERSEAS WITH PTSD.  SHE DID HER BEST TO OVERCOME IT, GOT MARRIED AND BECAME VERY INVOLVED IN A LOCAL CHURCH.  THEY GAVE RUTH A BEAUTIFUL GRANDDAUGHTER IN 2012!!  UNFORTUNATELY​, HER DÀUGHTER PASSED AWAY IN 2014 FROM A DRUG OVERDOSE AS A RESULT OF THE PTSD.  RUTH'S SON-IN-LAW IS RAISING THEIR LITTLE GIRL AS A SINGLE DAD AND DOING THE VERY BEST HE CAN AT BEING BOTH FATHER AND MOTHER.

RUTH'S ONLY INCOME IS SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY AND EACH TRIP IS EXPENSIVE.  EVERY TIME SHE MUST GO THERE ARE COSTS FOR GAS, LODGING AND FOOD.  UNFORTUNATELY, INSURANCE DOESN'T COVER THESE THINGS EITHER.  MEDICARE PAYS 80% OF MOST MEDICAL, BUT HER 20% NOW AMOUNTS TO MANY, MANY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.

HER MEDICAL BILLS ARE VERY MUCH MORE, BUT $3,500.00 WOULD GET HER BACK AND FORTH TO HER APPOINTMENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AND AT LEAST BEGIN  TO MAKE A DENT IN THE MEDICAL BILLS ALREADY ACCRUED.  THEY HAVE MOUNTED UP SKY HIGH AND SHE CAN'T PAY EVEN A PORTION OF HER MEDICARE CO-PAY ANY LONGER AND CAN'T AFFORD ANY EXTRA INSURANCE.

HER GOAL IS TO BE ABLE TO KEEP GOING TO UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN LIVER CENTER SO THAT THEY CAN TRY TO FIND SOME KIND OF TREATMENT BEFORE IT GETS TO THE POINT THAT A LIVER TRANSPLANT IS NECESSARY. HOPEFULLY, THERE'S STILL TIME IF SHE'S ABLE TO DO THIS!