Surgery sets family back with no income

The Hope's Helping Hand program is looking for donations to help a Valley woman and her family get back on their feet after having surgery.

For six years, the 46-year-old woman has been through several treatment options for a medical condition that has been debilitating. She had exploratory surgery, which revealed internal bleeding, and earlier this month she had surgery, which has forced her to take leave from her job, without pay, for four to six weeks to recover.

Her husband is on call with the longshoreman union, and she said he gets about $50 a week through unemployment when not working. The family's problem is putting together enough money for a house payment.

"I have called my home-loan people and they are going to help me and I am able to almost pay every bill except for the house payment," she wrote.

She took on starting her own business, which she hopes to have running when she recovers.

If you would like to donate to the Hope's Helping Hands program, you can do so at the Frontiersman. It is a service the Frontiersman established to help community members get through tough situations. Every penny raised goes directly to those who need it -- there are no administrative costs.

For more information about how to donate or to help, interested people can call Kari Sleight, Frontiersman publisher, at 352-2250.