Rose Draper is a face of hope.
Rose has always had insurance, until her husband Les, a computer programmer, lost his job after working for the same company for over ten years. Recently, when Rose was experiencing excruciating pain in her stomach, she didn’t know where to turn. “I had a fever of 102, and couldn’t walk. When you’re in pain, and you don’t have money or health insurance, it makes your life so hard,” she says. After a few days of being unable to get out of bed, a friend told her about Shepherd’s Hope.
Rose waited hours at one of the clinics to see a Shepherd’s Hope volunteer doctor. The lines are long these days as more and more people are out of work, and without insurance. Rose was patient, though, and grateful to be seen by Dr. Brian Wolsey, a volunteer OB/GYN who ordered additional tests through a special partnership with area hospitals. Rose was diagnosed with a severe infection in her ovaries, but thankfully got the treatment she needed. With strong antibiotics, she was better in a matter of days. “I don’t know what would have happened without Shepherd’s Hope. My infection was so bad, and my ovaries so swollen, I may have died. You never know”.
Now that Rose is healthy again, she has returned to the clinic to thank the people who gave her hope. When she saw Dr. Wolsey, her eyes lit up, and she ran to hug him. “You saved my life”, Rose told him. Her story is inspiring, but not unusual. In fact, Shepherd’s Hope volunteers have provided over 100,000 patient visits for patients just like Rose. That’s 100,000 opportunities to provide hope and healing for people who are sick and need to know that someone cares. It’s hard to imagine what would have happened to those patients without Shepherd’s Hope. To ensure there are 100,000 patient visits in the future, Shepherd’s Hope needs your help. The organization is now trying to raise $100,000 by the end of the year to continue the healing. Each dollar raised will represent a patient visit, and will help provide future care for those in need. Please consider giving…. just log on to www.shepherdshope.org.
By doing so, you can put a smile on another face of hope.
