In Loving Memory of Kim Spjut

Kimberly T. Spjut (maiden name Ahlquist) passed away on September 23rd, 2023. She leaves behind a husband, 4 biological children (not including the many bonus children she has loved as her own), 7 grandchildren, and 1 dog.

Over Kim's 64 years, she was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and community advocate. She raised 4 children of her own, but if any child came to her needing love and acceptance she became their mother, too. She was there for anyone who needed a mothers love, or a shoulder to cry on.

She helped found the group Village of Love, a support group for people who have either struggled with addiction themselves, or whose loves ones have gone down that path. She was passionate about helping others, and she has inspired many other people to do the same. She spent many years driving an outreach van for her church, to help children in low income neighborhoods get to church every week. That church is no longer there, but every day she found strength in God and His teachings, and lent that same strength to those who needed it.

The world is a better place because of her, and because she was so passionate about helping those in need. I wish I could leave this story right there, but unfortunately I cannot, and now the Spjut/ Ahlquist family is instead the ones needing help.

As a stay-at-home Mother and Grandmother in her recent years, Kim had limited access to healthcare. After leaving H&R Block for medical problems, she relied on her husband's insurance to cover healthcare needs. After Eric retired, the couple had to decide between continuing coverage for healthcare, at $1,600 a month, or waiting the 2 years to qualify for Medicare. As is the case for too many Americans, the question became "Do we keep a roof over our heads, or pay for health insurance?" Kim and Eric had to choose the roof. Then the diagnosis came.

In June of 2023, Kim was rushed to the hospital with an increased heart rate and chest pain. She was in AFIB, and her heart had to be shocked back into a normal rhythm. While there, the hospital performed a chest X-Ray, and that is how our family found out she had Stage IIIB non-small cell lung cancer (Adenocarcinoma). Over the next several days, until she was stable on blood thinners, she had to make a few more trips to the ER to be treated for AFIB. The healthcare system is not kind to those without health insurance. Kim worked with multiple advocates at Cascade Valley, Providence, and Apple health, but wasn't able to secure health insurance or any sort of assistance to help her pay her existing hospital bills. Social security denied her. Medicaid denied her, because "Caner" is not a qualifying life event, and so she would have to wait for open enrollment to apply. She finally was approved for financial aid through Providence Regional Medical Center, that would help pay for her future cancer treatment.

Unfortunately, she started that treatment too late. She was able to complete 1 day of radiation therapy, on Wednesday September 20th. She passed away in the ICU on September 23rd.

The uncovered portion of medical bills is ~$40,000, we are sincerely hoping this GoFundMe will raise enough money to help with some of this, so Eric does not have to worry about this debt in his time of grief.

Thank you to everyone who is able to help. We know times are tough, and we feel sincerely grateful for every penny donated in her honor.