When All Seems Lost
Richard was terrified when he was diagnosed with cancer. He lived alone with no additional help and worried about how he would afford to pay his medical bills due to the side effects of the treatments that he was receiving. The illness took a toll on his quality of life and he had to quit his job in the gardening industry so he could focus on improving his health. That left him with only a small amount of income coming in from social security.
With frequent and costly trips to a medical center in Athens, Richard ran into financial stress fairly quickly. His electric was turned off and power to his refrigerator was critical for storing his cancer treatment drugs. He reached out to SVdP Georgia for assistance and we paid his total electric bill as well as provided him with a few groceries and gift cards so he could purchase additional food. Richard is hopeful to return to his gardening work part-time when his health improves.
Unfortunate stories like Richard are becoming more common as healthcare costs continue to rise. There is no silver bullet, but SVdP Georgia was able to lend a helping hand and give Richard a sign of hope during his journey.