Life is Looking Good
A 25-year-old man with Cystic Fibrosis had his life changed. Patrick McGuiness was born with a congenital heart defect and Cystic Fibrosis, a life-threatening disorder that causes severe lung damage and nutritional deficiencies. Unable to obtain traditional medical insurance and unable to pay, many necessary procedures were postponed. But Patrick had one condition that could be cured. His corneas were too thin, and his nearsightedness had worsened over the years. Laser surgery known as PRK could reshape the surface of his corneas, restoring clearer vision. The Granted Wish Foundation enabled Patrick to see the world in a whole new light.
Dear The Granted Wish Foundation,
"I was once asked, 'What makes life worth living?' At the time I really didn't put much thought into the answer of 'Having fun and dying young!' I believe that phrase was more of a quip retort, chock full of sarcasm from my youth, but the phrase does still hold value in its first half.
Every day in life, we all come across some form of hardship, bad news, or life-changing events, whether it's in our own eyes, in our own lives, or in the lives of others. Many people choose to ignore these sad but ultimately true and real situations in our lives as well of those in the rest of the human race.
There are, however, some people that find a sense of joy and compassion for others that you cannot put into words. I was lucky enough to meet with several of these fine people when I was offered the opportunity to have corrective laser eye surgery, free of charge.
My name is Patrick McGuinness. I was born with a degenerative genetic disorder called Cystic Fibrosis or CF for short. The disorder over time affects your lungs, pancreas and intestines. In its later stages it becomes a debilitating disorder. I have been fortunate enough to be able to maintain a medication and dietary regimen that has kept me out of the hospital for most of my life. I have, however, had a few slip-ups along the way, during which I had accrued a substantial medical debt.
Federally funded programs for disorders such as CF are slim to none, so it was difficult to get support for my medical debt, until I was accepted for Bureau for Children with Medical Handicaps, or BCMH for short. Over the past several years the government has tried changing the benefits coverage for this plan. The most widely effecting change was the elimination of all coverage for patients 21 and older. Since genetic disorders worsen over time, this was in complete contradiction to logic, but was being planned on anyway.
My family and I took it upon ourselves, with the help of countless others to go to Columbus, Ohio and testify in front of the Senate Committee to petition this drastic change that would have practically put us on our death beds. During the next year after the changes were nullified, I was featured in the Akron Beacon Journal twice, as follow-ups. One of these articles sparked the interest of one of the team members at The Granted Wish Foundation.
I was contacted by my mom, who was contacted by a reporter from the Akron Beacon Journal, because they had received a phone call asking for permission to talk with me by The Granted Wish Foundation. My mom was kind enough to call them back and discuss my medical history and tentative future with them. After their talk, they asked my mom if there was anything that I enjoyed doing, or if there was anything that they could help me with.
My mom's response to that was, 'You know, he has a lot of medical issues, but there's only one that he can fix.' She was talking about my eyes. I have always wanted Lasik eye surgery, because that truly is the one thing I could fix.
Immediately they responded with 'Let us make a phone call.' Within a matter of a day or two they had set me up for an end-to-end surgical consult, preparation, surgery, and post-surgery care.
Many people say they can't say enough about, or put into words, their feelings for the people who have helped them, that have saved them, or about the heroes in this world that have effected them. That stands true for me when I look back at the selflessness, and undying care for others every single person from The Granted Wish Foundation, Aultman Hospital, and Dr. Karns showed me the short time I had the true privilege of spending with them.
The surgery and recovery was a 100% success, I now have 20/15 vision and can check off one victory for team Pat, thanks to the people that have become my family for the rest of my life. If ever there is a call to answer, it is that of volunteerism and I will answer that call if ever it comes from the people of The Granted Wish Foundation, Aultman Hospital or the offices of Dr. Karns.
I wish to finish by leaving you with a quite befitting quote. 'It is not who you are that people will remember, but rather your actions, in this life and the next.'
God bless every one of you, and may there always be a silver lining even in your darkest cloud."Sincerely,
Patrick McGuinness
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