Special message: Update and thanks
RenewAmerica staff
Dear friend of RenewAmerica,
I want to thank all those who've been so kind and gracious in helping my family following my emergency surgery for a life-threatening duodenal perforation just below the stomach, and the week of hospitalization I required afterward.
By nature, I'm not inclined to seek medical intervention, and prefer to rely on God — in faith — for His guidance and sustenance. At the time I was hospitalized, in fact, I hadn't seen the inside of a hospital in over forty years, except to visit relatives or witness the birth of the first three of our eight children (the rest of whom were born at home with the help of midwives).
I feel it's my duty to take charge of my own "health, education, and welfare," and that of my family, through depending on God, not on human authority, and certainly not on government. As an example, my wife and I have home-schooled all our children end to end — teaching them to be God-centered and properly self-reliant — and as a result of this family togetherness and mutual learning, we've all been actively involved in the political arena for many years.
We're also nearly done building a home by ourselves on our small farm — after years of work and sacrifice — so we might be reasonably independent and free of debt.
So when my duodenum burst, I put my trust in God, and He has blessed me and my family with His merciful care. His intervention has included sending wonderful friends and supporters of RenewAmerica to our aid. He also matched me up with a wonderful surgical staff, whose expertise (and personalized care) has been a real blessing. So far, I'm progressing on schedule, and have experienced no apparent setbacks. I've been told it may take months to regain my full strength or get back to my normal work schedule, but things look good.
Thankfully, I was otherwise in excellent health when my duodenum gave out, the doctor said — or I might have had more difficulty handling the surgery, or going days without food as my digestive system mended — and for this, I'm deeply grateful to divine Providence.
As far as our medical costs are concerned, the donations we've received have been just enough to cover the bills we've received to date (surgeon, anesthesiologist, emergency room, radiologist, pathologist, etc.). We haven't yet received a formal bill from the hospital — only oral assurances — and we expect the actual bill to be substantial, but at least we've been able to keep up with all the other medical expenses. We're hoping to negotiate a minimum settlement with the hospital once its bill arrives.
Thank you all so much for your thoughtful prayers, encouragement, and support as our family seeks to deal with this still-challenging medical crisis. May God bless you,
Stephen Stone
President, RenewAmerica
July 30, 2011
Dear friend of RenewAmerica,
I want to thank all those who've been so kind and gracious in helping my family following my emergency surgery for a life-threatening duodenal perforation just below the stomach, and the week of hospitalization I required afterward.By nature, I'm not inclined to seek medical intervention, and prefer to rely on God — in faith — for His guidance and sustenance. At the time I was hospitalized, in fact, I hadn't seen the inside of a hospital in over forty years, except to visit relatives or witness the birth of the first three of our eight children (the rest of whom were born at home with the help of midwives).
I feel it's my duty to take charge of my own "health, education, and welfare," and that of my family, through depending on God, not on human authority, and certainly not on government. As an example, my wife and I have home-schooled all our children end to end — teaching them to be God-centered and properly self-reliant — and as a result of this family togetherness and mutual learning, we've all been actively involved in the political arena for many years.
We're also nearly done building a home by ourselves on our small farm — after years of work and sacrifice — so we might be reasonably independent and free of debt.
So when my duodenum burst, I put my trust in God, and He has blessed me and my family with His merciful care. His intervention has included sending wonderful friends and supporters of RenewAmerica to our aid. He also matched me up with a wonderful surgical staff, whose expertise (and personalized care) has been a real blessing. So far, I'm progressing on schedule, and have experienced no apparent setbacks. I've been told it may take months to regain my full strength or get back to my normal work schedule, but things look good.
Thankfully, I was otherwise in excellent health when my duodenum gave out, the doctor said — or I might have had more difficulty handling the surgery, or going days without food as my digestive system mended — and for this, I'm deeply grateful to divine Providence.
As far as our medical costs are concerned, the donations we've received have been just enough to cover the bills we've received to date (surgeon, anesthesiologist, emergency room, radiologist, pathologist, etc.). We haven't yet received a formal bill from the hospital — only oral assurances — and we expect the actual bill to be substantial, but at least we've been able to keep up with all the other medical expenses. We're hoping to negotiate a minimum settlement with the hospital once its bill arrives.
Thank you all so much for your thoughtful prayers, encouragement, and support as our family seeks to deal with this still-challenging medical crisis. May God bless you,
Stephen Stone
President, RenewAmerica
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