A mother's crusade to save her child

A mother's crusade to save her child
Posted: Jun 29, 2009 3:50 PM PDT Updated: Jun 29, 2009 4:50 PM PDT

By Dawn Baker - email | bio

SAVANNAH (WTOC) - Imagine your child is diagnosed with a life threatening disease, but your own health prevents you from getting the health insurance coverage you need to save her life.

It's a parent's worst nightmare and Amelia Proctor is living it everyday. Inspite of the devastating diagnosis, she's determined to do whatever it takes to get the medical care her daughter so desperately needs to survive.

Last Fall, 19-year-old Alexis Proctor got violently ill while being treated for a bacterial infection.

Her family rushed her to the hospital. That's where she got a heartbreaking diagnosis just 4 weeks after Alexis started college. "It was very frightening especially when they first told me it was Lupu," Alexis recalled. "I know someone who had Lupus who died. I automatically thought that I was going to be like her."

The news was coming fast and none of it was good. "I heard by the end of the night, she would be in PCU and before morning she's was going to be on dialysis," Amelia said. "I said, 'hold up we're talking about a bad infection that's what I was told. So, what are you talking about?' He said, 'ma'am both of your daughter's kidneys are failing'. I lost it," Amelia said.

By day three, doctors told Alexis that she must withdraw from Savannah State University for her own health. "He said thank God she finished her senior year because she would not have made it," Amelia added.

The news was devastating for the whole family. Alexis was a very active teenager, a dancer, cheerleader, basketball player and a member of just about every school and community organization. But, Lupus has taken all of that away. Some days it's hard to even breathe. "I cannot walk," Alexis explained. "I feel like I am walking on needles. I can't even bend my hands. It's hard to just move my fingers. I have a really bad headache. Ugh, it's frustrating."

What's even more frustrating, Alexis and her mother don't have any insurance. They were covered by the teen's father's insurance until he quit his job and the parents divorced. Even though Amelia has a full time job, because of her own health issues, the insurance company won't cover her.

She tried to find some affordable insurance for her daughter, but Alexis got sick before she could. "I know as a parent I feel bad because I think I should have planned better," Amelia said. "I feel guilty because I am not able to do what I should do for her."

That guilt has Amelia even more determined to do what's right for her daughter, writing letters and making calls to just about every agency that might be able to help. They've even dropped off letters to Congressmen John Barrow and Jack Kingston's offices.

"I call her the terminator," Alexis said. "She is always on the phone trying to help me. I thank her a lot because without her, I would probably be at ground zero."

"Some agencies I call say no because she is 19," Amelia explained. "You have to wait on SSI, that's all that I have been hearing. If she had a child or if her kidneys fail in the meantime, she could get everything."

"It made me mad. I'm like I did everything right. I'm not supposed to have a child," Alexis added.

It's a constant fight everyday as more and more medical bills roll in, the Social Security Administration told them that there is a backlog and it could take 18 months before the family knows if they are approved for any coverage.

"Some days I am like I can't do this. I just want to stay in my bed and my mom and my family just push me to keep going, Alexis said. "Sometimes I feel like giving up and they say 'God brought you this far why stop now?'"

With all of them pulling together, they are hoping for a miracle.

Alexis is scheduled for a biopsy next month that they already postponed because they didn't have the money.

They have already accumulated well over $10,000 in medical bills. If would like to help, you can make a donation to The Alexis Proctor Benefit Fund at any Wachovia Bank or give them a call 912.429.0872. '

http://www.wtoc.com/global/story.asp?s=10614869