Donation angst/exhaustion venting.

[kickysnana]

I am almost 60 disabled and currently in a year long treatment for another illness. Over the years I finally allowed myself to avail myself of help available to me and although my monthly income is almost unbelievably low I manage as I am a recycler, trader and supper shopper. I have a little disposible income and I know there are so many others still desperate. So I try to do what I can.

However this week I have been hit by messages from everywhere. A SD Native American School is running out of money for heat, Haiti is still in crisis, my brother, uninsurable due to a congenital heart defect, with an autistic child and another Senior in high school who only employed part time has hit the financial wall, my sister's part E stopped covering a life saving drug, the food shelves are empty.

One of the worst is the plea for legal fees for Dr Charles Jones a Pediatrician, foremost authority on pediatric and gestational Lyme Disease. He is 89 year old and has treated over 7000 children that other doctors had told to go home, live the the debility and pain. Many of these kids could not walk, talk, attend school, play with friends and were in constant intense pain 24/7. With in 6 months to year most were back in school and getting on with their lives. The CT state medical board brought him up on charges for prescribing antibiotics to an out of state child, with the blessings of the child's physician and mother who was a nurse two weeks before the family could manage to get out to CT to see him. The child recovered and is doing well. The father filed the complaint due to a custody battle trying to say the mother was endangering the child and he should have custody. This man had a previous child abuse conviction. He was looking for payback. He was sanctioned and put under monitoring. Early this year three new charges were filed. Two were dismissed immediately by the court. The third charge? He ordered blood tests for a child before he saw the out of state child. Insurance would pay in the child's state. Again the child's doctor and pediatrician were on board and a non-custodial parent was filing charges. This charge has never been filed against any other doctor and the board was careful to say it had nothing to do with Lyme Disease but their two expert witnesses are self proclaimed Lyme experts who treat for less than 6 weeks and declare children cured despite ongoing symptoms and negative tests for other conditions. Lyme is still a clinical diagnosis which drives managed care crazy because they want a test. There are Lyme tests but they only pick up at most 50% of positive cases (CDC guidelines for tests) and most tests pick up far fewer cases. These children have been subject to strong drugs with horrible side effects for their symptoms. Dr Jones cannot take insurance as he would be paid almost nothing as they do with all Lyme diagnosis. He works with a group that holds fundraisers for his kids if they cannot pay. The last trial even with some pro bono, cost Dr Jones over $200,000 and is not covered by insurance. Money and lost time that could have treated many more children. He has NEVER had a patient or custodial parent complaint.

And DU needs funds. You are my mental safety net in this crazy time we live in and it takes money to keep this wonderful resource going.

Luckily my Credit Card allowed me to donate my frequent flyer miles as cash to Haiti but the rest makes me very, very sad.

Thanks for listening and to all those who help others I suspect almost all of DU.

[havocmom]

1. (((((((((kickysnana)))))))))

Your heart is bigger than your bankroll. That's not a fault, my dear. And you can't save the world. You can only lend your light to your corner of the world. Me thinks your particular light shines a bit further than you know.

One never knows what good one might inspire in others.

DUer merh once posted an OP about ripples. I can't find it but if any other DUer has that bookmarked, it might go a long way toward giving some comfort to those who might think they have nothing to give, and are wrongly saddened by their error.

kickysnana, you give enough. You hold up a light and that is a treasure beyond measure.

[kickysnana]

2. What a nice reply. I feel better.

[Liberal_in_LA]

3. Kick!

Don't be sad.

[havocmom]

4. Kick

Anybody from the area the doctor is in? Anybody able to help get the word out about fundraisers for the kids he treats or maybe look into his case and legal defense?