Life on the line

One young woman learns the importance of protecting God’s gift of health

By Erica Martin

“[Getting sick] reminded me of the unpredictable nature of life,” said Jenny Goering. “It was hard to understand why this was in God’s plan for me, but it was something I had to come to terms with.”

And that is exactly what Jenny did, with the help of her family and the encouragement of those around her, when she was diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis during her sophomore year of college.

Her condition meant the ducts inside and outside the liver were narrowed due to inflammation. And though she didn’t show symptoms until two years later, the disease left her in an incredibly weakened state and in dire need of a liver transplant.

The support that surrounded Jenny helped as she faced her illness head on.

“It was through the little things – cards and prayers when I needed them most, how small details just seemed to fall into place – that I could see God’s hands working,” recalled Jenny.

As her disease cycled, Jenny was faced with many major decisions. “My family and I had to trust that a transplant was my best option,” said Jenny. Some of her acquaintances felt that surgery was a lack of faith in the healing power of God. But Jenny felt differently about the type of treatment she needed. “I know now that God can use medicine to heal,” Jenny said. “Sometimes you have to put yourself in the hand of others.” In the end, Jenny received a liver from a donor, and was on the road to better health.

Through her major surgery and recovery, one issue that Jenny didn’t have to worry about was insurance. Fortunately, Jenny’s parents had purchased an individual health insurance policy from MMA for her before she was diagnosed. MMA assigned to her a case manager who helped her to work through all the details leading up to her surgery. “From the first phone call [my MMA case manager] was really concerned about us and thought of the little things that we wouldn’t necessarily have thought or known about,” said Jenny. Her health plan became a real resource during this trying time, and the fact that Jenny didn’t have to worry about paying for her treatment on top of the stress of the disease itself was a blessing. “I am so thankful for my policy with MMA and everything they did for me,” said Jenny, “If I hadn’t been insured, I would be sitting on a mountain of hospital bills right now, instead of enjoying the fact that I’m still here.”

In fact, because Jenny learned that having health insurance was so important, she purchased her own plan when she turned 23, instead of waiting to be added to her employer’s health plan. “I chose to make the sacrifice of paying [health insurance] premiums on less than $15,000 a year, and have reaped the benefits so many times over,” she said.

Jenny doesn’t know what the future might bring. And that, in itself, is a gift. “Having my life open ended is such a blessing for me,” said Jenny. “I can do whatever I want.” And that is something nobody should take for granted.

Erica Martin is a sophomore at DePauw University where she plans on double majoring in Communications and Conflict Studies. She worked at MMA as a communications intern during the summer of 2007.