To The Editor:
In America today there is no reason why a person working a full time job should not have some type of health insurance. My husband has worked almost his whole life—started earning money to help his family at only 4 years old. Of the five jobs he has had in his 53 years, the least was one year and the longest is 18 years. So many Americans work all day, come home, eat, sleep, go at it again the next day, and never really think that one day if they were to get sick what would happen.
They surely know that their employer does not offer insurance, but still it never becomes a problem until that “uh oh” moment,when they find themselves sick, but because the money they make has already been stretched as far as it can.What do they do? Where do they go? Pay the doctor, don’t eat, don’t pay rent or electricity. It’s not fair.
A year or so ago I began to see a change in my husband—forgetting things, losing stuff, not remembering certain things, and then 10 months or so ago, his weight starting just falling off even though he was eating the same as always. We knew something was wrong but did not know what to do about it. Thinking maybe it was stress -related because of myself being sick, it would just get better.
Watching him in pain was torture and watching him refuse to see a doctor because of money was worse. He is the rock that holds our family together.
Always does for his friends, family, customers….The most honest, trustworthy person I know. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him say no to someone. He tries to do right…
As you know you can’t walk in a doctor’s office for less than $75-$80+, labs, etc. Money we just did not have.
When you can’t help the person you love, it does something to you. It makes you feel like you’re not doing all you can do for them. We prayed for each other that God would give us the strength to find a way to get Glenn checked to find out why he wasn’t looking or acting like himself. Our prayers were answered.
Some very special people opened a free medical clinic right here in Dillon. Donating their time and expertise… Doctors and nurses, secretaries, etc. …These special people opened their hearts and made a way for working people to be healthy too. I want to thank all who have helped my husband, Dr. Kelly, .Dr.Vance, Leslie…etc.
If not for this clinic I don’t know if we would have found his problem as fast as we did and making arrangements to fix it. When I say my prayers every night, I ask the Lord to please take care of Glenn when he has his surgery, but I also pray for these special people that they can continue to help others who are in the same situation as we were in.
Finding only after five days of testing we had an answer, scary as heck, but an answer. The right Carotid artery was 100 percent being critical and the left was 80 percent being severe.
In a few weeks Glenn will be feeling so much better, for this I feel so blessed to have this clinic in our midst.
Thank you so much for all your help, and for getting my honey on the road to recovery.
Lisa A. Barfield and Glenn Barfield
2519 Pittman Lane
Dillon, SC 29536
(adv.)