Charity for The Chief

My name is Jodie Kidd.  My heart aches for my best friend and cousin Julie Lockear and her beautiful family.  Not so long ago Julie was diagnosed with breast cancer, two years cancer free last month!  Praise the Lord!  Julie's mother Joyce Locklear was her primary care giver.  As a close family we all pitched in and covered Chemo treatments, hospital stays, Dr. Appointments, an unforeseen ruptured intestine in the middle of it all, but my aunt Joyce took the brunt of the work.   We were so happy Julie beat the cancer.  Boom!!! Her dad is diagnosed with lung cancer!  Here comes my aunt Joyce with mere months to recover from long days taking care of Julie, her household and children, she has been taking care of my Uncle Harold.  Uncle Harold is Native American, from North Carolina and  career in construction until a work injury left him with a broken back and no income.  As the sole provider for his wife, my aunt Joyce who was once employed by the State of Georgia, herself on disability from an aneurysm out of the blue.   Living with Julie and her family for the last 13 years life has dealt some hard knocks to one of the most amazing women I have ever met.  My aunt Joyce is the type of woman who stops by to check on neighbors.  She is the type of woman who when I have been sick she came and did my laundry and cooked dinner for my family.  She has watched the neighbors kids, an officer and a nurse when they had the night shift, many times without pay or just not accepting payment. Always her life was to help others.  Yet a woman of pride, honor, and integrity giving anything to her is a chore. She is the giver. She has taken care of Harold and his medical needs for over a year and a half.  In an exhaustive state trying to do everything to make him comfortable, she was told by hospice that he needed in patient care to help him.  Her daughters, son-in-laws and grandchildren helped so much but Papa or "The Chief" as we call him wanted his Joycey. The cancer has moved to his brain and he is confused and agitated.  Wednesday they came and took him to hospice.   This was supposed to be a 5 day respite. The Doctor came in today and gave the sad news that "The Chief" would be heading to heaven within 24 to 72 hours.  I have visited often and watched this family pull together and take care of papa.  I found out today that aunt Joyce,  trying to take care of her own., remember the integrity I spoke of, she has stacks of medical bills and a funeral coming up within days.   She has been doing her best to make payments for her husbands medical bills with her disability check and Harold's social security check.  Because I know she will never ask I am asking for her.  I hope that you will find it in your heart to give to help her with the mounting medical expenses.  As the giver and never the taker, I would love for her to THIS time be the "Receiver" of a mighty blessing.  God is Good.  Love, Jodie