Janie: On Wings of Hope Mercy Medical Angels

Janie lives in Montana, a state filled with mountains and cold weather. For many people, those alone would become obstacles. The obstacles Janie faces aren’t necessarily brutal terrain or bitter temperatures. It’s not just what’s outside, because she encounters a difficulty on the inside. She has a rare bone disease known as septic arthritis.

Septic arthritis is not something to be taken lightly. If Janie gets an infection, it goes straight to her joints and starts damaging the bones around it. “Once I got strep throat and it went to my hip,” Janie explained. “It ate the whole ball-and-socket joint.” Another time, an infection attacked her neck. She needed titanium to fill in where the bones were gone.

Nobody in Montana was able to help Janie. However, there were bone surgeons who were experts on septic arthritis, based in Chicago. The problem: long distance air travel would be too expensive. As she tried to find a solution, her condition went from chronic to acute. “When it’s acute, that means I need help very quickly.”

At a crucial point, Janie found out about Mercy Medical Angels. Then she ran into another problem: she needed help with the online application. One of the transportation coordinators helped her complete it. Janie gave a threefold compliment: “They were very cordial, very understanding, and very helpful.”

Aside from bone disease, Janie deals with other problems. Flying with metal bone replacements makes the security line a nightmare. Because of the harsh Montana winter, she often ends up snowed in. She has to move in the early summer. Despite all this, her faith keeps her going. “It’s a hard life, but I’ve done well,” she affirmed.

Janie is especially thankful for what Mercy Medical Angels does. “They’re miraculous, amazing, a gift, just a wonderful organization.” When the obstacles seem too high, Mercy Medical Angels raises her up on wings of hope.