"Ms. Tina's Fight for Life"

Ms. Tina's Fight for Life

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TExQoqP7pbo

Hi Everyone

The “dance family” of ShowBiz Studio (and myself, Tammy Norton) located in Florence, SC are fighting to save our teacher’s life! We are asking for your help to find a kidney and raise much needed funds in support of our loving, deeply cherished, and wonderfully talented dance teacher and studio owner, Tina Hathcock (“Ms. Tina”). I have personally known and worked with Ms. Tina in her studio for many years. She is an awesome friend and has been a very dedicated and a committed teacher (2nd mom) to her students until she became sick and could not teach anymore. Ms. Tina is not one to ask anyone for help so we are asking on her behalf. We love her! She has lost her health and her ability to work and teach. She has lost her home, her successful dance studio business, her savings, and now she could lose her life. Each of these situations has been extremely sad and heartbreaking to watch unfold to such a wonderful and dear lady. She has fought so very hard to keep an independent life. She is in desperate need of a kidney donor and a transplant to continue to live. Ms. Tina has always been one “to pay it forward”. She has always inspired us to never give up and always live your best life. Her life motto is “Always persevere through struggles with belief, trust, and faith that God will provide you with the strength, love, and support to see you through”. We are appealing to the public and everyone who knows Ms. Tina to please HELP WITH ANY DONATION THAT YOU POSSIBLY CAN….WITH THE GIFT OF LIFE (A KIDNEY) OR FINANCIALLY. Please share Ms. Tina’s story with everyone!

LOSING HER HEALTH AND INABILITY TO WORK:

This all began with Ms. Tina living with kidney disease for many, many years. Ms. Tina has been receiving treatment at Duke University since she was a little girl. At the young age of 9, she lost her right kidney. She has lived with only 1 kidney which has been in a steady decline and is currently in chronic failure. Ms. Tina has always been a fighter. She continued to work, teach, operate a very successful dance studio, and enjoy living life until her health began to decline in 2019. Ms. Tina’s love of life, teaching and dedication to her students allowed her to persevere through many days of physical weakness and fatigue all with a smile on her face. She is divorced and while she has no children of her own, over the course of 45 years of teaching, she has claimed all of the students as her own children by way of her “dance family”. They have been her life support!

LOSING THE COMFORTS OF HER HOME:

Due to Ms. Tina’s steady health decline, her business began to really suffer financially. The studio was her only source of income. She needed money to keep her business open, so she could continue paying her necessary and critical health insurance ($1289 per month), medical bills, and living expenses. She didn’t ask for help as usual. She found a way by selling her home and moving into a temporary apartment to save on expenses. She thought if she downsized, she would have money to pay her insurance and medical bills. Unfortunately, her health got worse and so did her business income. Her finances were slowly beginning to slip away each month.

LOSING THE DANCE STUDIO:

Our “Dance Family” shed many, many tears on March 10, 2023 as Ms. Tina lost her battle to keep our dance studio open. She has lost her independence to provide for herself. She has no income or financial means of support now. I (Tammy) have watched Ms. Tina struggle extremely hard using all of her resources to keep her business and herself afloat while suffering with kidney failure. She is still in an apartment complex, unable to work, nor pay for health insurance, medical bills, living expenses, and apartment rent.

LOSING HER SAVINGS…… POSSIBLY HER LIFE:

She has exhausted her savings and home proceeds. Ms. Tina desperately wants to live in the comfort and peace of her own home again while undergoing this fight for her life. As we all know, without employment, she is not even able to move to a cheaper apartment. She is literally stuck in a desperate and sad situation with what is ahead for her - fighting for her life. Ms. Tina has applied for disability (which is not enough to live on) but that is a lengthy process. She is in jeopardy of losing her apartment now, her health insurance, and possibly her life. Without health insurance, she cannot receive a transplant. After meeting with the Duke University Financial Department on May 19, 2023, Tina was informed that the estimated cost (of the kidney transplant, all transplant meds, etc.) comes to approximately $476,000. Ms. Tina could potentially be responsible for 20% of this cost (ie. 20% of $476,000 = $95,000. This is why this GFM is so, so urgent!

We are praying that everyone who reads this about our “Ms. Tina” will help her! She urgently needs your support and prayers! Ms. Tina is praying for a kidney donor, a successful transplant, and a comfortable, affordable, and safe place to call home during this journey for her life.

HOW YOUR DONATIONS WILL BE USED:

Your donations will be used before, during, and after her transplant.

• Monthly Health Insurance Premiums

• Monthly living expenses, including Housing, Utilities, Food, Medicine

• Medical Bills (Ongoing)

• Frequent travel/accommodations to Duke University

• Any remaining transplant costs.

Ms. Tina will be the beneficiary of any and all donations. Ms. Tina’s hopes and dreams are to once again put on her dance shoes, to return to teaching one day, and to have a home again.

We appreciate any donation (no matter how big or small) that you are able to give to help Ms. Tina with her fight for her life.

If anyone is willing to be tested and possibly give the gift of life, a kidney to Ms. Tina, please send correspondence. Help us to exceed her goal of a new kidney and $80,000.

We thank you in advance for your donations and support!