As some of you may know, at 13 years old Sarah was diagnosed with high blood pressure, which was managed by medication successfully while she was a teenager. Then, in 2008, due to complications from the medication she was taking, her kidneys began to fail. By the summer of 2010, she was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Failure and placed on dialysis.

Sarah was placed on lists in Texas and Oklahoma, and in February, 2016, she got the call for a kidney transplant. Just before her 30th birthday, her life began again.

Dialysis patients are automatically qualified for Social Security Disability (or SSI) and Medicare, but the Disability stops two years after a transplant, or when the person’s income is adequate (which Sarah’s was within a year of her transplant), and Medicare ends after 3 years. That means that as of the end of February, 2019, the last of Sarah’s benefits will cease.

Even with insurance, Sarah will still have many uninsured medically-related expenses for the rest of her life! Co-pays and deductibles, doctor visits, and the costly immuno-suppressant medications that she will need to take for the rest of her life.

To help with these uninsured expenses, a fundraising campaign in Sarah’s honor has been established with Help Hope Live. Help Hope Live is a non-profit that has been assisting the transplant community for over 30 years. All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law and are administered by Help Hope Live for transplant-related expenses only.

People on dialysis are eligible for Social Security Disability, but that ends two years after any transplant. Sarah was able to return to work, that source of income ended earlier, since it is means tested.

Medicare covers until the three year mark, but the premium is no longer covered, so when Sarah’s income dropped dramatically, HelpHOPElive covered the premium for her Medicare out of the funds that had been raised.

As she celebrates the three year mark, she will lose Medicare completely. At this time, Sarah is working at a job that offers no benefits, so after Febuary 28, 2019, she will have no medical coverage at all.(She is looking for a job with benefits) she has tried to apply for the Health Care Marketplace, but they will not talk to her as long as she has Medicare, so there is likely to be a gap in services.

Regular checkups and continuing medication are essential to keep that precious kidney viable. Unfortunately, some recipients lose the transplant because of lack of funds to maintain proper treatment, and have to return to the costly (monetary and lifestyle) dialysis, so we pray that will never happen to Sarah!

Please consider making a donation today:

Make checks payable to:
Help Hope Live

Note in memo section:
In honor of Sarah Motsenbocker

Please send to:
Help Hope Live
Two Radnor Corporate Center
100 Matsonford Road, Suite 100
Radnor, PA 19087

For credit card donations, please call 800-642-8399 or select the GIVE button.

We are blown away and truly humbled by the gifts and the outpouring of love we have been witnessing! Thank you for caring about Sarah.

We are reminded of a song based on a verse from Numbers that Sarah learned during her days at Oklahoma Christian: The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord lift his countenance upon you and give you peace & help; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you.

We hope blessings are passed on to you and we thank you for your support and generosity during this difficult time.

Sincerely,

Beth Motsenbocker
Sarah’s Mother
940-585-8824