Dear brothers and sisters,
For many years, I have written the Listening Faithfully Blog and prayed for thousands of people through this platform, and now I am in need of your support.
My father, Franklyn Joseph Stark, who we affectionately call Joe, has fallen ill, and his medical, hospital, and hospice care bills are mounting despite the hospice care administrators who told my mother, Sally Stark, that everything would be covered by Medicare.
So, in response to this sudden, unexpected amount being charged to her and my family, it is with a heavy heart that I make this plea for support on behalf of my father, who currently is in a hospice care facility in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, facing the toughest battle of his life.
SURPRISE COSTS:
What was supposed to be covered by Medicare resulted in a bill of over $6,836.34 for costs relating to when my father was first transferred to this facility nearly eight months ago. Then, within the last week, the administrators told my mother that this amount had gone unpaid, and they wanted two larger payments before letting her pay $300 for the last third. On top of this, we were told that rent for the room is $1,150.00 and the family’s share is $1,086 per month, of which no one told my mother that these bills were coming. No, they told my mother that everything would be paid by Medicare as long as he was in hospice. Yesterday, July 29, 2024, my mother was told that when my father passed away, all outstanding debts would be due immediately. The doctor advised taking away some of my father’s medicines because they were no longer having any effect on my dad’s health. So… the time is coming close, and all these bills we just found out, as you can imagine, have greatly burdened my mother and our entire family.
About Joe
My father has always been a pillar of strength for our family. He is a loving father and a man who has spent his life helping others. My father’s spirit is resilient and compassionate; despite adversity, he remains hopeful and strong. However, his condition is taking a severe toll on his physical body, one he will not overcome.
FREE RESOURCE ON LEWY BODY DEMENTIA – CLICK HERE
The Situation
My father has always been the picture of health and vitality, spending his days fishing, woodworking, and reveling in the great outdoors during his retirement. But one evening in November 2023, after returning from a trip to Walmart, he retired to his bedroom to unwind. A few minutes later, he emerged, pale and distressed, telling Mom he didn’t feel well. That night marked the beginning of an inexplicable nightmare. My father was rushed to the hospital with symptoms the doctor could not diagnose. My father’s behavior went from calm to increasingly aggressive and delusional over a period of a few days in the hospital to the point they had to restrain him, a stark contrast to his typically peaceful demeanor. Within days, he lost the ability to speak and walk and was tormented by severe hallucinations. Despite a barrage of CAT scans, MRIs, and exhaustive examinations, doctors remained baffled, unable to pinpoint the cause of his mysterious condition.
Now bedridden and helpless, my father began wasting away; his once robust frame alarmingly shrank as the pounds fell off day by day. The activities he loved so dearly were now impossible dreams, and his world became confined to a hospital bed. Eventually, he was transferred to Summit Point Hospice care facility, where the costs of his care have unexpectedly mounted beyond our ability to pay. While we do everything we can to manage the financial burden, the fact remains most of the costs we were told would be paid by Medicare. However, I do want to preface this by saying after looking at the bills in person, Medicare has paid for a lot, but we remain disillusioned by the fact we were told something that was not true, which ended up in large, unexpected bills to keep my father comfortable during his last days. Thus leaving us to reach out for help not just to ease the financial strain but also to bring some hope and support for my dad in this unimaginable ordeal.
How Will Your Donation Help?
Your generous contributions will directly go towards:
- Covering medical bills and hospice care expenses
- Ensuring Joe receives the best possible care and comfort in his remaining days
A Message from Our Family
We are deeply grateful for any support you can provide. No donation is too small, and every bit helps us move a step closer to ensuring Joe’s comfort and peace. If you cannot donate, please consider sharing this page with your network to help us reach more people who might be able to assist.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your kindness, generosity, and support during this incredibly challenging time.
With heartfelt gratitude,
The Stark Family
LETS US PRAY
Psalm 121:1-5
I will lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not allow your foot to be moved. He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is your keeper. The Lord is your shade on your right hand.
THE GRACE OF CHRIST
Ant 1: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. – Ephesians 1:2 (MEV)
If it were not for you, God, our enemies would have swallowed us whole.
If it was not for you, God, our salvation would not be at hand.
If it were not for you, God, the Spiritual blessings of heaven would not be within our reach.
Ant 1: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
All praise be to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for without you, we would remain unholy in your sight.
O’ Lord, you chose us before the the world, for if it was not for you, we would not have been predestined to be your adopted children, your many sons and daughters.
My loving God, I confess that through your mercy, we are redeemed. For if it were not for you, our many sins would go unforgiving for all eternity.
Ant 1: Grace to you and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
A Prayer of Healing for Our Brother in Christ Franklyn Joseph Stark
“Truly, truly I say to you, seek me not because you saw signs but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.” – John 6:26 (MEV).
Lord, you alone can heal me, for I have grieved you by my sin.
Once more, I say: O’Lord, have mercy on me, for I have grieved you by my sin.
Say this together:
‘God, come to my assistance.’
“Glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.”
Everyone pray:
Dear Lord,
We who love our father or brother, Franklyn Joseph Stark, humbly pray to you to comfort your faithful son who has fallen ill. Whisper in his ear, ‘Be not afraid, for I, your God, am always with you.’ Reassure him that you will do for him what you have also done for your most beloved children in ages past.
O’Lord, our perfect savior, we ask that you extend your grace upon our good father and brother Joseph. Sooth his heart, mind, body, and soul remaking him a new. O’Lord, breathe within him your mercy, comfort, and perfect love, granting him his place by your side in heaven.
My God, we, the family of Joseph Stark, remind you of your promise to come to our aid in times of great need, for if not for your love, we would not be deserving. Therefore, we humbly come before you and ask with good and honorable intentions on behalf of your servant in Christ, Joseph Stark, who has served you well. He has spent a lifetime providing for his family, given great care to all who have graced his table, and has been a loyal servant to you, my God, in all his many years. We only ask that you comfort his soul and body as he transitions from this world to the next.
So, it is for you, God, to examine our hearts, judge our souls, and grant us what you will. But we humbly remind you that our hearts are heavy as we cry for your mercy, beg for your assistance, and place all our faith within your deserving hands. May your love be poured out over your son Joseph, his loving family, and friends. Please bring your comforting presence and wipe away our many fears as our Father and Brother transition with your perfect grace.
Lord, you alone can do these things for your son Joseph and forgive him of his sins against you.
In Jesus’s name, we pray.
May the Lord bless us, protect us from evil, and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen
Saint Joseph, pray for us. Sancte Ioseph, ora pro nobis.
In heartfelt reflection, say:
‘Lord, open our lips to praise your holy name. Cleanse our hearts of any worthless evil or distracting thoughts. Give us the wisdom and love necessary to pray with attention, reverence, and devotion. Father, let our prayers be heard in your presence, for Christ our Lord offers it.’
Amen, Hallelujah.
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