Member Story: Sarah La Croix, Berwick, Maine
- Total eligible bills: $161,732
- Provider discounts: $54,789
- Total bills shared: $106,943
My eye doctor looked me directly in the eye and said, “There’s something potentially wrong, and I need you to get an MRI.”
I accepted his words and said, “Okay, that’s fine.”
Then, I passed out.
A week after my appointment with the eye doctor, I had my MRI. I spent the entire hour praying, asking God to give me peace; whatever happened, I wanted Him to receive all the glory.
After my MRI, I drove back to work, thinking that I was going to complete my shift. Just as I arrived, I received a phone call from my doctor. The MRI revealed a tumor, and I needed to get to an emergency room as fast as possible.
My husband, Chris, met me at the hospital, and we talked with a neurologist. The tumor was close to my brainstem, which is very dangerous. The removal surgery would last about six hours. The doctor explained that I had almost a 100 percent chance of nerve damage and deafness in one ear.
I was in surgery for eight hours. They got almost all of the tumor. The surgeon had to “stretch” my nerves around the tumor to get it out; as a result, I looked like I had a stroke.
People around the world prayed that the procedure wouldn’t cost me my hearing. When I came out of surgery, I told Chris I could hear a little bit. The surgeon couldn’t believe it.
Chris and I are incredibly thankful for CHM. The faithfulness of our fellow CHM members enabled us to live our normal lives and focus on recovery, not on medical bills. Being a part of a ministry like CHM gives us a tremendous feeling of confidence, especially when medical bills arise unexpectedly.
