Janet Martin's story

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"The Mother’s Day Offering had a great impact on my life. It made me feel like there was hope for me," said Janet Martin, a cancer patient at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. "This was God at work. I thank Him so much for the people that helped pay my hospital bill."

Janet and her husband found their normal lives thrown into disarray when she was diagnosed with lymphoma. "I cried when the doctor told me. But I did not want to die from this," she said.

Janet began aggressive treatment with chemotherapy under the guidance of Dr. Susan Melin, her oncologist at WFUBMC. By God’s grace, healing began to happen.

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While Janet fought hard to recover, new burdens of distress came with her hospital bills. Mr. and Mrs. Martin both work – but with limited income, they fell between the cracks of assistance. They had too much to qualify for government help or the Hospital’s charity care program, but not enough to provide for her medical care. They were burdened by hospital bills, worried and alone on an island of need.

"I had all these bills and didn’t have enough money to pay them. I did the best I could, and started paying $25 a month. I kept trusting the Lord to make a way."

"This was a huge burden for them," Dr. Melin added. "Here you are diagnosed with cancer that is life-threatening. Then you go through all this treatment that has side effects. And then to have bills piling up. It’s a tremendous stress for them. It takes a toll."

God saw Janet’s distress and extended a gift of hope through the Mother’s Day Offering. She received a letter from the Medical Center that said, "Your hospital bill has been paid by compassionate and mission-minded North Carolina Baptists in the name of Jesus Christ and His love."

"When I read that letter I was overjoyed and came to tears. People who didn’t even know me showed this kind of love for me… This made a tremendous difference in my life. They helped me see God at work, and I’m so thankful for them!"