Connie’s miracle and remembering Alice
Posted on 01/29/2011 by Yvonne McCarthy / 8 Comments / Leave a Comment »
www.wlsfa.org
Sometimes I get lost in this thing called living and I forget how quickly it can be taken from us. As we are preparing for the WLSFA event in Las Vegas I am reminded about the purpose of this organization. My previous post explained the reason I am passionate about the WLSFA and how a couple of miracles have already come from the tragic suicide of my friend Alice Neff. On May 13th-15th we will be attending the WLSFA Mother of All Meet and Greets in Las Vegas, Nevada. You can view the agenda here. On Saturday morning The Alice Neff Grant will be presented to Connie Bailey who will be receiving the miracle of weight loss surgery through the WLSFA.
If Alice only had known that she would not be forgotten…that others would be helped just like her. In the video “Surviving to Thriving” Connie talked about getting her hopes up and thinking that once again she would be approved when yet again she would be denied. Those words brought tears to my eyes because Alice said the same thing so many times.
Excerpt from Alice’s correspondence:
hello hope your weekend event went well. Well I had written my state rep. and they called acting like they would do their utmost to help. And I tried not to get my hopes up, but of course I did to a certain extent. Only to have those hopes dashed once again. When they called me back again and told me there was nothing they could do. It just felt like one more blow. And I was stupid and started crying. Then my disabled daughter came in the room by me(she scoots around the house on her butt to get around) and I quick dried my face. As I try to never let her see me crying. As I do not ever wish to upset her. I am trying to not lose my faith in God, in asking for his help to be allowed to have this WLS. But it at times gets difficult. At times i just wonder.
Alice wrote dozens of people and organizations begging for help. She had severe lymph edema that drained so much fluid that it stayed infected. Her list of comorbidities was immense.
Please consider attending the WLSFA Mother of All Meet and Greets in Vegas. There will be wonderful speakers of all ranges and lots of fun will be had as well. In the near future there will be announcements made regarding something BIG and incredible. At the very least…please join (it’s free)…. and lend your voice to this organization that will make a difference in the future of so many deserving people…. that were just like Alice.
Special thanks to Bariatric TV for the documentary “Surviving to Thriving” and to Antonia Namnath (WLSFA)
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8 Comments on “Connie’s miracle and remembering Alice”
Thanks for the reminder Y!
I cry everytime I think about poor Alice. Y-I know you will video the milestone in LV-I can’t wait to see it!!! I am so proud of you, for all you do, and just for being YOU. I wish everyone could know the YOU I know-the REAL you!
Gina I never saw it comng. At the time it was more than I could bear and I thought I would roll up and die. So many “what if’s”….could I have asked one more person to help to save her life? I know it cannot be changed but I thought I would never recover. I found out at the Obesity Help event…at the same one where you were motivated. I cried hard for five hours all the way back to Dallas. Alice loved the little furry babies just like me and even though she didn’t have the money, she would take them to the vet when she found them abused. It’s a shame no one could do it for her.
Yvonne,
Thank you for this post. One of the best parts of starting the WLSFA is having the opportunity to
shine light onto people who should not be forgotten. I never knew Alice, but there for the grace of god go I. I was fortunate to have the money to pay for my WLS. Every day I get emails from people desperate for help. I reply to each one personally letting them know that we are working hard to raise more donated surgeries and funds to help people.You know how impatient I am, I want the funds NOW to help people NOW but I know our work will be rewarded and soon we will be able to help many people just not soon enough for me!
Antonia
Thank you so much. You have worked so incredibly hard and I can’t tell you how very much I appreciate the grant being named for Alice. Tears are streaming down my face remembering her plea for help and being denied every single time. Thank you for wanting to save the “Alices” of the world. It is such an honorable thing the WLSFA does.
Yvonne you wanting to help is helping Alice already, thank you so much for what you have done for Connie..I see such a change already with just how happy she is to recieve this in the honor of Alice ..I share your tears know one should be denied life…I thank you from within… for the gift that you have already given to my sister Connie just by being you and sharing the gift of exercise I see for the first time a light at the end of a great journey the tunnel is no longer dark and gloomy but hope is here because of people like you..so thank you again…love rosemary
Thank you for this blog. I am to going to have bariatric surgery in June of this year. I am glad to read about Connie and I wish her the best.I am excited but scared but I will benefit in the long run. I am so glad that there are places out there for people that their insurance would not pay, do not the insurance companies figure out that in the long run it will cost them less. I have had to go through a year of documented just so that my insurance company would pay.I work in a major hospital for the last 25 years you would think that they would want their own staff to present the great things that they can do now a days.
Donna Keffer
Donna I appreciate your words more than you know. I know you are making a choice to have a better life and it still frustrates me that surgery is not available for those who need it. Last summer I talked with a lady that worked in a bariatric office that wasn’t covered. June will be here before you know it and by next year you’ll be ready for summer! Please let me know how you’re doing and definitely let me know if there’s anything I can do for you. Thanks so much again! Hugs, Y