Billie's Medical Expenses

Billie is a hard-working, funny, giving, ray of sunshine for everyone who knows her. She is the lady who will run through a field to rescue a lost dog and not rest until she finds its home, and the lady the rest of us gawk at because she is braving traffic to save a turtle from the road. She has been known to take in family and strangers alike simply because she had a home and they needed one. Being generous has never been an option for her, she cannot fathom any other way to be.

A commercial and industrial boiler mechanic by trade, she spends her days in extremely uncomfortable, sometimes dangerous environments that can reach temps of 130 degrees to make sure our local schools, hospitals, and businesses have the capacity to safely function as they need. No matter how physically miserable she is, she remains an uplifting and positive person, and always a joy to be around.

In June 2018 Billie was diagnosed with Stage 3 Breast Cancer with lymph node involvement. Her breast cancer fight included four months of chemo, two years of a test drug, and three more years of bone chemo along with major surgeries including a double mastectomy, oophorectomy, and having all her lymph nodes removed due to being metastatic. Billie’s battle with cancer left her physically and financially drained, but she made many sacrifices and forged on, determined to remain the beautiful soul that she is, spreading joy and laughter wherever she goes. Billie has very simple dreams and goals for herself. She wants a motor home, a piece of land to put it on, a dog or 2, her chickens, and to enjoy every day with the people she loves. She was just getting to the point after her life was upturned by cancer where those goals were just becoming a future possibility.

Recently, however, Billie was dealt another blow. In June of 2022 she came down with pneumonia and was admitted to the hospital. Her blood work found an extremely high white cell count and a diagnosis of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia came the next day. The news kept coming as Billie learned that she has chck2 and Philadelphia positive genes and that her type of illness is terminal. Her life span is completely dependent upon how well her body responds to the chemo pills that she will have to take daily for the rest of her life.

Her diagnosis of terminal Leukemia has cast a shroud over her hopes of a simple life when she learned of the outrageous cost of her necessary medication versus the absurd regulations of our health insurance system. Billie must pay $4,000 per month out of pocket for the chemo pills that are her only chance of survival. She also has weekly Doctor appointments for both Leukemia & Breast Cancer with bi-monthly Leukemia appointments costing $2,000.00 per co-pay.

Please help in any way you can, we will be providing more details and information as they are available. Billie helps so many and we would love to help her <3

A note from Billie “I try so hard to be completely positive, to live each day for that day and not to think about tomorrow. Knowing that a simple cold could kill me is hard, but I refuse to live with my mind in that space! I live every day to the fullest, I don’t live in the future or in the past. I will continue living a normal life until my time comes. I hope everyone remembers to listen to their bodies and live for the day.”