Krystyna Wolski, Scottsdale, AZ

Without help from CHM, I’m convinced my husband and I would have been forced to file for bankruptcy.

Looking back at the events our family endured this past year, it’s clear that God drew us to join this ministry for reasons we couldn’t have imagined. I’m lucky to be alive and blessed to have joined CHM at the right time to meet my healthcare costs.

Last year we learned that my mother, who lived in Poland, was ailing and deteriorating quickly. Not long after she passed away, I was devastated to learn that her death was the result of a close relative’s maltreatment. The trauma of such a realization was more than I could bear and the emotional pain I felt increased daily.

Stress, I’m told, is one of the worst things that can happen to a human being and it affects people in different ways. My belief is that stress and anxiety caused a rupture in a brain aneurysm I didn’t know about. (Editor’s note: According to some medical research, a severe emotional state may trigger an existing aneurysm to rupture.) I spent two long weeks in the hospital so doctors could treat me and evaluate the rupture’s long-term effects.

I’ve since learned that about 40 percent of brain aneurysms are fatal and about 66 percent of survivors suffer permanent brain damage. Yet God spared me from any negative effects and I began to focus on getting well so that for many years to come I can be with my husband, Ron, and our twin sons.

No one can predict what life will bring and I believe that’s why God brought CHM into our lives. My medical bills were sudden, unexpected and financially overwhelming.

The first bill we received—my hospital bill—was over $285,000! I thought, Where does anyone get that kind of money? Already struggling to overcome some deep hurts and stress, I couldn’t force myself to add the burden of trying to figure out how we would pay for our astronomical medical costs.

Thankfully, in Jan. 2015 we had joined CHM’s Gold program and Brother’s Keeper, its program for catastrophic medical bills. (Editor’s note: For more information about Brother’s Keeper, click here.)

Ron worked with my healthcare providers to obtain itemized bills and then submitted the bills and CHM’s Needs Processing forms online. He also negotiated discounts—including a reduction of nearly 50 percent on our first bill. The CHM staff encouraged him and coached him on what to do to maximize the discount amount. (Editor’s note: CHM's Sharing Request Packet can be downloaded—and forms and medical bills can both be submitted through your Member Portal account).

In all, CHM shared $192,045 after $166,497 in discounts, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the way they cared for our needs—financially and spiritually.

Nor can I adequately describe how grateful we are, or see how we could expect anything greater than the love CHM members have shown us. CHM is one of a kind, and we’re always referring friends and family.