Helping the Hagers with medical expenses and volunteer work!

Hey there! We are the Hager Family!

Our lives, like many others, focus on God, Family, Others.

We have had many projects over the years to go beyond full-time volunteer ministry.

2018 The girls started a lemonade stand - first raising money for the Hospice organization that helped their Paw Paw. Then they raised money to make over 30 'Helping Homeless' kits and delivered to Davidson County Homeless Shelter along with food donations and some to pass out as the need appeared.

2019 We had to start a Non-Profit Organization as they took on the task of helping raise money and awareness of Student Lunch Debt in Davidson County and went global with their efforts!

It was all a huge learning experience, amazing, meaningful, but philanthropy which set us back a bit. Then the pandemic hit and everything liquidated.

Fast forward through the pandemic - I was a covid lay off. I was able to focus attention where needed, went full-time with ministry efforts, and the girls transferred completely to home school. The time together and in the volunteer work has been nothing short of amazing, but definitely different from 2 great job full-time incomes.

I did go back to the work force with the hospital for 2.5 years from home. However, I was 1 occurrence (day) away from losing my job due to my Chronic Migraines. (On top of everything else)

My doctor and supervisor approved FLMA, but because I had to go part-time for health reasons, I had just over 1,000 hours worked for 12 months, but the requirement for FMLA is 1250.

I didn't qualify for Non-FMLA due to intermittent not an option.

I chose to resign instead of being fired as doctor's notes, urgent care, NOTHING mattered. It was specific to 10 occurrences.

In August 2023, my migraines for the first time in 15 years shot to EVERY DAY until January 2024. I tried EVERYTHING. I still average 15-17 every month despite Botox and 3 medications, herbal teas, hot foot soaks, essential oils, homeopathic medicines, ear piercings, etc.

So I started my business end of 2023, resigned from the hospital and went full-time March 1, 2024 as "The Neighborhood Handywoman" under BetterMeBetterYou LLC.

I finally hit my passion - PROJECTS! Building, refurbishing, creating, design, etc. It was great! I was helping neighbors, which turned into local folks turned friends and so much more!! Until...

April 26, 2024

The girls and I were on our way home, when on the exit ramp, a girl was stuck beside her car unable to get the tire off to change it.

We stopped to help of course, and after removing all lug nuts, change the tire out, and began putting them back on. I pulled to hang tighten one of them and instantly couldn't bare to move.

I've changed many tires from working on NCDOT Roadway construction sites as a CEI Inspector. (That was my last career before the pandemic)

I just did a custom cabinet job almost completely myself, 2 weeks prior. But, that didn't matter.

I slipped and fell at work back around 15 years ago.

The fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, chronic migraines then became L5S1 Arthritis / Sciatica / Scoliosis. I had finally got all that under control and after 8 years, off narcotics from the chronic pain.

Now, the already aggravated and intense migraines and chronic pain added from the injury (April 2023) L4, L5, L5 S1 herniated/bulging disks and arthritis, plus SI joint disfunction.

I have not worked since April 26th of 2023. That was a huge blow because my health was choppy with the migraines and fever-of-unknown-source that we still have yet to find a cause after 5 years.

I've been getting L5 / S1 / Epidural Nerve block / corticosteroid injections and SI joint injections every 3 months.

I get Botox injections - like 30 needles in my head every 10 weeks. I just got prescribed another (3rd) migraine medication that worked for me 15 years ago (the ONLY tirptan I didn't have a reaction/allergy to)... but it's $109 ($180 at Walgreens - changed to CVS for insurance preference but still). That's $109 for 1 week... every month.

Hubby got the most expensive insurance plan due to the last few years. We met my $2k deductible within less than 2 weeks of the start of the new year.

Everything now is 20% coinsurance until $8,500 individual and $17k something for family.

I have had to pay everything for procedures up from with OrthoCarolina for my back. I owe them currently $557.59 and go in for my SI injection tomorrow which last time was $160 something. I owe Atrium WF Baptist $848.09 on top of a lot of collections from the last 2 years.

Due to my gastritis/gastropathy (stomach inflammation and damage) I can't take NSAIDs (Motrin, Ibuprofen, Aleve, etc. NOTHING except acetaminophen.)

That's where a big part of the pain from fibromyalgia and migraines go haywire and not able to knock it easy.

The stomach issues have damaged my teeth which I haven't been able to go to the dentist yet to tackle. A friend said implants are the only real option to deal with the mass corrosion long term. That's scary $$ but if this goes on much longer it's the best long term option (4 years - 2.5 of Omeprazole, now Cerafate).

I have maxed out our credit card with copays and procedure payments. I was hoping to hear back from disability / try to find another line of work per the Ortho doc... but it's never ending.

I have an Arthogram / MRI Right Hip procedure (2 procedures - 1 at the hospital to inject dye, then across the street to imaging. Almost 2 hour appt) for my right hip to try to figure out if it is more the culprit of why this injury isn't healing.

This is after the diagnostic procedure that was a nerve block starting at L3,4,5 and see what I could do - to hopefully work and do nerve ablation (burn the nerves), but it failed.

I asked about potential ablation for L5S1 / SI Joint and he said yes we do have more options, but we have to find out what role the hip is playing in the horrific sciatica/pain and numbness even into my toes.

I just got the bill for that Hip MRI - $1,105.57. It's an almost $18k procedure. :(

Atrium WF Baptist usually makes you do half up front the day of.

So outstanding OrthoCarolina $557.59, Atrium WFBH $848.09, tomorrow $160ish up front, and May 8 will owe almost $600 for half of the $1105.

Even worse, Hannah's swallowing / stretching procedures and the other two in orthopedics as well... all this balance is just mine. I have no idea where we stand with Hailey, Hannah and Nick.

We just started the "Year-round sister-swap clothing-closet" which has helped 52 women to date in less than a month so far!

This is 100% done by my family and clothing donations from us and lots of friends. I have close to $1,400 in wood, screws, shelving, rods, jewelry organizer, size tags, thin hangers to be more space efficient... and I alone have just over 50 hours before I stopped counting from cutting, staining, assembling the mass clothing rack structure in our guest room - and at least 25 hours of those 50, me alone in organizing, hanging, and preparing the room.

This is not including help from a couple sister friends in sorting and of course the girls assisting so I don't over do it.

I have had to go in after every few groups and reorganize stacks and replenish. This is something that will be set up indefinitely as of now and hoping to continue free to those in need. It has been a BEAUTIFUL experience and an honor to be able to dedicate the space! But it is a lot of work...

That being said, with our full time volunteer ministry for myself, and the girls doing everything they can between school for Hannah, and Babysitting for Hailey...

Helping with elderly sisters who don't have transportation to get to appointments and basic needs, helping in any and every way we can, it's a strain with 1 income and all the health issues racking up debt. We just can't afford to keep going, but I also can't afford not to try to get relief and be more functional.

I am NOT tooting horns or anything like that. I do share a LOT on Facebook, but that's because it is my only income source right now. Last year I made about $1k for the year. It's between $30-60ish a month average. The more I post and more engagement, the more it makes. It's menial, but the $30 I made from it last month helped with my thyroid medicine. It is what it is...

So, until I can figure something out... I am asking for assistance if you have the means and desire to help. I have helped raise a LOT of money, for a lot of people and causes, but not for us. I feel that's selfish given our circumstances.

I have been told multiple times that people would help with a bill to a company, but not money to an individual -

Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist (Account #109597877) Is $848.09 - Will be $1953.66 by May 8th.

OrthoCarolina (Account/Guarantor #774200108) is $557.59. I will have to pay the up front injection amount tomorrow on another credit card.

It would be nice to have a small fund to assist with gasoline for the trips to Lexington, Salisbury, Winston Salem, to pick up clothing closet donations... we also will be packing up a size lot of clothing, taking to elderly/infirm so they can try on things as they can, keep what they like, and bring back/hang up when they're finished.

The end of last year we helped (since I have a truck) facilitate picking up donated furniture from storage and another 2 families to take to a Ukranian refugee and her daughter.

After helping them move, we were able to go back to one of the other sisters who donated furniture due to her father passing... and help 2.5 days (My mom, daughters, and I) to clean up and organize her garage and be able to move in her elderly mother.

We won't stop helping. It's who we are and is such a blessing...

But it has taken a big tole. Often helping others with meals and other needs. We have hit an oh-no point. Hoping to figure things out with Jehovah's help and stay doing what we can as we all work on enduring to the end.

Thank you for joining on our journeys and checking out our story! We appreciate any assistance with medical bills and to keep the clothing closet running, helping as many people as we can! (Adding a mens section in my mud room as soon as I can get it cleaned out!)