Fighting for Family: How Adventist Health became our family Cindy Pitoy, RN, Surgical Lead

I started working for Adventist health Portland in February 1992. I got pregnant around September to November that year. I started having premature labor at 24 weeks and had to be put on complete bedrest. I did not have enough paid time off (PTO) built up to be used for the rest of my pregnancy. We were ok financially to pay for mortgage and daily living expenses, but paying for medical insurance for the whole family (at around $500-$700 per month) was not possible.

My coworker told me about the employee assistance program, and I contacted the person in charge. At that time, the program was able to help me cover the medical insurance premium for seven months: four months during the pregnancy and three months of maternity leave.

That was the first story.

My second story is more devastating than the first one. In Sept 2007, we were in a car accident that left my youngest son, Jeremy, with a spinal cord injury and he became quadriplegic. The medical insurance covered most of the cost of his hospitalization for about three months. Then in 2008, he needed a standing frame, a $5,000 piece of equipment that helps him stand to prevent bone density loss. The insurance would cover the cost of the equipment after I paid my $2,000 deductible. This was the other time that I reached out to the Employee Assistance Program, and I was so thankful and blessed that once again the program was able to help me.

Jeremy is the baby in the first story who was eager to come out before his time.

We have a happy ending, though. Even with his physical limitations, Jeremy is now employed at Adventist Health Portland, working telecommunications.

God is faithful and His grace always abound in our lives.