Share the Season: Son’s hospital stay put mom behind on bills

The 25-year-old mother of two had survived cervical cancer and a break-up with her boyfriend of five years.

Then her 18-month-old son fell ill in March.

Doctors at first diagnosed him with croup and advised her to put him in the cold air to help open his airways.

When his fever spiked to 103, she took him to an emergency room, where he was admitted and diagnosed with pneumonia.

After the boy’s stay, she received a $15,000 bill.

She has struggled since to pay the bills.

The young mother is one of many who will seek help this season from Share the Season, a joint project of the Salvation Army, the Wichita Community Foundation and The Eagle that offers one-time aid to people affected by unexpected hardships. The program is in its 15th year.

The Eagle will feature a story daily of someone in need through Christmas. Those who are featured will remain anonymous, but their need will be verified by the Salvation Army.

The mother said she is grateful for the help she has received. It was a struggle to get to this point.

“Even though we had approval before he was admitted (to the hospital), insurance would not cover it” because the boy’s oxygen level never went below a certain point, the mother said.

She appealed the case three times, but each time it was denied.

She has nearly paid off the insurance bill but has had trouble keeping up with utility bills.

A friend told her about Share the Season.

“I wasn’t expecting anything, but they were so kind,” she said.

“I was stressing out, because I didn’t think the children would have anything for Christmas,” the mother said. “Now, this allows them to have a few presents under the tree, and this gave us a leg up to get over the holidays. What a blessing.”

Share the Season is a grassroots approach in which the majority of donors send what they can – $5, $10 or $25 – while some donors contribute $5,000 to $10,000.

Last year, 1,121 donors gave more than $258,000 to help 200 families in need.

In the program’s early years, the Wichita Community Foundation provided seed money to help start each campaign. More recently, contributions have continued to pour in after the holiday season. Some have been used to help people with unexpected needs year-round. Share the Season had $38,360 left over from last year to help jump-start this year’s campaign.

“What I am hoping is that Wichitans will continue to be so very generous,” said Shelly Prichard, president and CEO of the Wichita Community Foundation.

“Each year I am amazed at the generosity of donations and that people who have benefited in past years are now continuing by helping others. The stories are heartfelt, warm and encouraging.”

The average recipient receives help toward paying mortgage, utility or medical bills. Payments are made directly to creditors.

“This year we are seeing a lot of single parents,” said Cheryl Warne, director of the Salvation Army’s emergency social and disaster service. “They are requesting help with child care, and we have a lot of requests for utility assistance. A fair number of people are asking for assistance with doctor and medical bills. Some are asking help with funerals. I just received a phone call from one woman – her husband had just died, and she was in a panic looking for help.”

The applicants are the working poor who do not have enough money to pay bills and cover child care while they are working, Warne said.

A 62-year-old widow who applied to the program used to be an accounts payment clerk until she was laid off. She has been trying to find a job but can’t.

She had fallen behind in her utilities, car insurance and medical insurance.

She found out about Share the Season through the United Way, and the program helped her.

She is blessed, the widow said.

Her husband died on Christmas Eve in 2007. They had been married 37 years.

“It has been tough; this is not a good time of the year,” she told The Eagle. But “Share the Season helped me, and I am hoping it will continue to help others in need – people worse off than I am.”

So far, Share the Season has raised $60,670.

Among recent donors: Adam S. Jones Agency Inc.; K.C. “Buck” and Gladys Alley; Stanley and Gretchen Andeel; Keith Anderson; anonymous, in memory of Virginia Barb; anonymous, in memory of Nelda Ellington; anonymous, in memory of Bob Parker; anonymous, in memory of Jane and Jack Spines; anonymous, in memory of Harry Abromet; anonymous, in memory of Eldor Wulf; anonymous, in memory of Tripp Lightner; anonymous, in honor of Maria and Peter Feyen; anonymous, in memory of Amos and Mary Russell; anonymous, in memory of Dick Higgins; anonymous, in memory of Marie McKee; anonymous, in honor of Marjorie Jo Wall (Mills); anonymous, in memory of Wheeler and Betty Martin; anonymous, in memory of Ken Lerman.

James and Patricia Armstrong; Randall Ball; William and Marlene Bayer, in memory of Tommy Bayer; Randy and Carrie Benjamin; Jay and Sharon Bezdek; Edwin and Eleanor Bolain, in honor of Chelsea Gerbitz; Ira and Betty Hill Bonebright; Jay and Anetta Brown; Bruce and Meribeth Buhr; James Byrum; Kevin and Phyllis Campbell; Betty Kathleen Carlisle, in memory of L. Wayne Carlisle; Georgia Chandler; Mary Chaney, in memory of John and Delores Naramore; Arthur and Sherida Dill-Classen; Clark and Sharon Bastian Donor Advised Fund; Bruce and Patricia Cole; Ronald Coleman; Coleman Materials LLC; Everett Cook, in memory of Lois P. Cook; Edna Cooper; Patricia Couger; Dion and Laney Curry.

John and Thelma Dameron; Bruce and Julie Deterding; Thomas and Myra Devlin; Terri Dondlinger; Edward M. Plopa and Assoc., L.C.; Frederick and Wanda Eilts; Susan Ellis; Ronald and Barbara Engelbrecht; Roland and Heidi Ensz; William Farha; Wayne and Janet Ferguson; Ronald and Judy Fiegel; John and Linda Finn, in memory of Leo and Wilma Finn; Chris and Vicki Flattery; Timothy and Deborah Fred; John and Nancy Frey; Justus Fugate, in memory of Marilyn Ann and Connie Claire; Amanda Gaggero, Freight Logistics Inc.; Ron and Joni Garcia; Levan and Kristy Gerstner; John and Lydia Gillquist; Thomas and Denise Glenn; Bruce and Nancy Gordon; Robert and Susan Grelinger; Eldena Griswold, in memory of Ray E. Griswold; W.E. and Leota Gustin.

Irene Hahn; Carla Hamilton; Joan Harris, in memory of Pam Slaughter and Robert Harris; Van and Mary Ann Harrold; Karen and George Haynes; Karen Haynie, in memory of Roger G. Haynie; Joseph and Marilyn Hein; Louis and Terry Heldman; Rick and Barbara Hemphill; Gary and Debbie Henning; Lloyd and Shiela Henning; Richard Hiebsch; John and Anita Horton; Lonnie Hossfeld; Jan and Jerry Aaron Charitable Fund; Lyle and Ramona Jensen; Steven Johnson and Jacqueline Levings; Shirley Knight, in memory of Velda G. Hazley; Edward and Maggie Koser; Karl and Joan Krausse.

Danny and Cindy Leddy; D. Craig and Deborah Levering, in honor of Robert Levering and Nadine Jansen; Hazel Linder; Aaron and Billie Loder; Errol and Suzanne Luginbill; Ronald Lyon, in honor of Sandra Lyon; Steven and Kylie Mank; Jean Marchand; Balbir and Treva Mathur; McCune Family Charitable Fund; Merlin Enterprises Inc.; R. Keith and Ilene Miers; Andrew Mies; Diana Miller, in memory of Anna McConnell; Paul and Margaret Miller; Belden Mills; Joseph and Rhita Muci; Ann Murray, in memory of Terry L. Murray; G. Keith Murray; Ronald and Patricia Meyers; Rosalie Myrtle.

Ruth Nelson; Wes Nelson, in memory of Carole. D. Nelson; Randy and Mary Beth Newby; Linda Niles; Joe and Sarah Nold; O.S. and Jaclyn Gossard Fund; Louis and Florence Ortega, in memory of Francis Alvares and Martha Melendez; George and Kimberly Palmer; Craig and Jennifer Pate; Larry and Donna Pierce; Terry Pope; Ronald Porter; Thomas and Kathleen Pott; Mark and Paula Richards; Sara and John Rogers; Lewis and Colleen M. Rogers.

Thomas Schaefer, in honor of Linda Lewis; Dwayne and Sandra Schrag; Donna Schirer, in memory of Marshall Schirer; Gerry Sibley; Debra Sizemore; Christen Skaer; Carolyn Swain Skaer; John and Kathleen Slaymaker, in memory of our parents and sister; George and Elizabeth Dell Stephens; Keith and Georgia Stevens, in memory of Keeney Stevens; Clint Stucky; John and Roberta Swinehart.

Douglas and Janet Ternes; Wayne and Julie Toman, Accessories Inc. of Wichita; Shirley Traner, in memory of James F. Traner; Florentino and Enid Tuason; Jack and Ruth Vandyke; Eric and Catherine Vitosh; Volunteer Kansas Inc.; Shelley Von Merveldt, in memory of Kenny and Mona Smith; Ann and Scott Weidensaul; Don and Karen Wells; Jean Wellshear; Michael and Patricia Wemmer; William and Judith Ann Wynne; Richard and Vera Zahner; and 80 anonymous donors.

This story was originally published November 26, 2014 at 7:03 AM with the headline "Share the Season: Son’s hospital stay put mom behind on bills."