Truck accident caused by heart issue affects father of five, By Lavern Martin

My wife and I joined CHM as a small business owner needing a budget-friendly healthcare option. We originally joined CHM at the Bronze program, but after a few minor incidents, we decided to change to the Gold level.

We were so grateful for switching when I suffered a major medical event several years later. I’d been a truck driver for over 30 years when one day, I passed out while driving. The truck went off the right side of the road and jackknifed. No one else was involved in the accident and, thankfully, I had only minor injuries. 

I was taken to a hospital where they did a cardiac catheter and placed a stent in one of my arteries. However, my doctors weren’t convinced this was what caused my fainting spell. After a three-day hospital stay, I was able to come home and continue care with a local cardiologist. I was then referred to a specialist for suspected Brugada syndrome (a heart arrhythmia). 

I had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implant as treatment for this condition, which meant ending my career as a truck driver. It was a hard transition, but we’ve been blessed with family and friends who have come alongside to help us through this time. God has been faithful, and all of our needs have been provided!

We dealt with many different providers through this incident, and some were already familiar with CHM and had discount policies in place. We were also able to qualify for assistance to cover the entire cost of the ICD, which was over $250,000. Praise God!

CHM staff made us feel cared for by checking in periodically to see how things were going. We definitely recommend CHM to others!