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SIERRA VISTA — Marty and Judy Huffman are overwhelmed by the community’s generosity.
When word of Judy Huffman’s catastrophic illness and the family’s subsequent financial difficulties circulated in July, members of the Huffmans’ church initiated a fundraiser sponsored by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.
Contributions from the community, along with friends of the family who live in other areas, allowed the church to raise $42,500 — money to be used for Judy’s medical expenses. The money, which is not touched by the Huffmans, is dispersed by longtime family friend Gail Hamp as Judy Huffman’s medical receipts are submitted.
“The money gets deposited into a Thrivent bank account, and there is detailed reporting as to how it’s spent and handled,” Hamp said.
 Laverne Campbell, left, local chapter president for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, and Gail Hamp, chair of the Huffman Fund Drive, talk about how the $42,500 that was raised by the church will be used to help Judy Huffman, right, who is suffering from a rare autoimmune disease. (Ed Honda-Herald/Review) |
Any money left in the account after Judy Huffman’s medical expenses are paid will be used for another person with similar financial needs.
“Thrivent is a fraternal insurance used for emergencies or disasters, for very specific purposes,” said Laverne Campbell, who is the chapter president of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. “It’s a benevolent fund to help those in need; the money cannot be used for the church itself.”
About five years ago, Judy a registered nurse who was employed by Sierra Vista Regional Health Center, became seriously ill with a rare auto-immune disease called neurosarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis is a disease that typically involves the lungs but is capable of manifesting itself in other areas of the body.
Neurosarcoidosis, however, attacks the spine, brain and nervous system and can cause debilitating strokes and paralysis.
One in 10 million people are affected by the disease, which made diagnosing Judy’s illness a challenge. After collapsing in her home about a year ago, Judy was transported to Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, where a spinal cord biopsy revealed the neurosarcoidosis.
With the diagnosis came a tangle of health insurance nightmares that the Huffmans are continuing to battle.
The illness left the family with medical expenses that climbed above the normal parameters of what Judy’s insurance policy would authorize.
In addition, Mayo Clinic is not part of her insurance company’s network, another problem that contributed to the family’s medical bills. The bill for her Mayo Clinic care alone came in at $30,000.
Since she has been unable to work for several months, Judy’s health insurance coverage under COBRA has run out. Marty Huffman is in the process of filling out mounds of paperwork and turning to the state for assistance, but it’s a slow process that takes months to resolve. Judy is uninsurable, and state assistance has not kicked in.
“I know Judy will be approved for Arizona Long Term Care System because she’s completely disabled,” Marty said. “It’s just a matter of getting the approvals and the program in place. It takes forever.”
The family is requesting attendant care at their home during the day while Marty is working, another expense the Huffmans are facing because of Judy’s illness. Judy’s doctors agree her recovery also will require daily physical therapy.
Hamp met with Sierra Vista Regional Health Center to see if arrangements could be made for a physical therapist at a reduced cost, but the request was denied.
“Catholic Community Services has agreed to provide physical therapy for $150 an hour, which is a reduced rate,” Hamp said. “Along with the physical therapy and attendant care, Judy needs a nurse to come into the home in the evenings to help get her ready for bed.”
The money collected through the fundraiser, Hamp said, was given out of love and caring for the Huffman family.
“It gives them time to pay some of these medical expenses without having to file bankruptcy or lose their home and assets,” Hamp said.
The Huffmans have been remodeling their home, making it wheelchair- and handicapped-accessible.
“We had to completely remodel the bathroom to come into compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act,” Marty said. “All the doorways had to be widened to make them wheelchair-accessible.”
The next big investment will be an electric wheelchair. From there, the Huffmans plan to rip out the carpeting in their home and replace it with hard flooring, providing a better surface for Judy’s wheelchair.
While the remodeling projects are a huge expense, they are not paid for from money raised by the church. That money is used specifically for Judy’s medical bills.
“We owe a huge debt of thanks to the community,” Marty said. “Doug and Gail Hamp have been a godsend to us. Both Judy and I are overwhelmed by the outpouring that we’ve seen.”
Now that the Thrivent fund drive is over, additional contributions to the Huffmans should be made to the Huffman Fund and sent to Gail Hamp’s address, 2601 Cherry Hills Drive, Sierra Vista AZ 85650.
HERALD/REVIEW reporter Dana Cole can be reached at 515-4618.
Alex wrote on Sep 26, 2007 12:48 PM: