“I have to make minutes,” Nancy M. said while rushing around running errands on a recent Wednesday afternoon.
That’s because Nancy is fighting colorectal cancer, but she hasn’t let it dampen her spirits.
“I just give it to God, and it’ll be alright,” she said.
Back in February, Nancy was bleeding and went to the hospital. That Emergency Room visit would upend her life.
“I was the color blue. They had to admit me,” Nancy shared. “I was in the hospital 21 days. That’s when they found the mass, and they removed that bad boy. But they also discovered some heart issues.”
After being discharged, Nancy came home to a whole new set of problems. She’d been out of work for weeks and bills were mounting. She heard about a resource fair at the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council in Kansas City, Mo. So, she borrowed her son’s car and made the drive there from her home in Blue Springs.
“I met that beautiful lady from United Way, who did magic with your Critical Medical Needs team,” Nancy said. “She told me to come back to the table and that they can help me. I told them I was about to have everything cut off and might lose my home. Y’alls new program was like an answered prayer.”
Nancy has filed for disability as she continues to fight cancer and deal with cardiac health challenges, as well as vertigo. But it is an arduous process. When United Way and the Critical Medical Needs program stepped in to pay her $800 in past due Evergy bills, it was a major relief.
“They really help you feel like you can think and breathe again — give you some hope when you feel really overwhelmed by a lot of doors closing,” Nancy said.
United Way’s Critical Medical Needs program is a multiyear, multimillion dollar partnership with utility providers Evergy and Spire, designed to support households facing a critical health issue with direct relief, so they can focus their energy on healing instead of how they’ll keep the lights on. In the year since the program started, more than $447,000 in aid has been distributed to 448 households.
Nancy says it’s not the first time United Way has been there for her in a time of need. She’s also come to realize how incredibly valuable the support of 211, our 24/7 helpline, is in connecting our community with more than 7,000 resources.
“That’s really helped me stay organized. I’m on my meds and everything lately. I know life is good. So, that 211–I’m so glad they are there. Even beyond the normal hours,” Nancy shared. “And I tell people about them and how they’ll help you find what you need.”