Joshua & Amanda Shoemaker, Myrtle Beach, SC

Christian Healthcare Ministries was our first call after we learned we were expecting our first child. We told CHM even before we told our parents! All our maternity bills were eligible for sharing. The ministry was an answer to prayer.

God truly walked with me throughout my pregnancy—at first it was normal and relatively uneventful. However, at 37 weeks my blood pressure spiked and my water broke. My husband, Joshua, and I weren’t too concerned because 37 weeks is considered full term.

On June 12, 2011, we went to the hospital and had our son, Bronson. There were no complications in the delivery, though Bronson’s bilirubin score was high.

On day two of our hospital stay, I was discharged, but doctors kept Bronson for observation because he was still too jaundiced to come home. I cried—wanting to take my baby home with me—but I soon discovered that this was part of God’s wonderful plan.

At about 8 p.m. Bronson stopped breathing. I mentioned to a nurse that he looked blue. When the nurse examined him, he didn’t breathe out normally.

The nurses didn’t know what was wrong with Bronson, so they brought in the on-call pediatrician. The doctor believed that Bronson might be having seizures. As a result, our baby was transported to another hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

After many tests, scans, and prayers, the doctors found no evidence of seizures. Bronson had apnea and just needed time to learn to breathe. We took Bronson home with an apnea monitor; after two months, he no longer needed it. Praise Jesus!

Tina Farnsworth—the CHM staff member who helped us submit our bills to the ministry—was wonderful. She walked me through each step and helped me understand how to explain what I needed from our health care providers. We also received several calls from CHM during the following months, asking how Bronson was doing and making sure that we were all okay.

We were facing more than $75,000 in medical bills between the two hospitals and follow-up doctor visits. These unexpected bills could have added much stress to our situation, especially because I changed my working hours to part-time after maternity leave. Thanks to CHM, it was paid in full in a matter of months—the ministry made the situation stress-free.

Thank you for all that you do.