When I graduated from college, I had high hopes for my first "big girl job" — decent pay, benefits, the works. Getting a job that would offer health insurance was important to me: I'd been a sick kid, and I had chronic asthma and other pre-existing conditions that needed attention. But I graduated at the peak of the Great Recession, and "big girl jobs" were hard to find.

I ended up working two jobs and easily logged 60-80 hours every week. Despite the insane work load, I couldn't afford health insurance... especially with those pre-existing conditions. Every day I rode my bike to work, I wondered if that was the day I'd have an accident and end up bankrupted by medical bills. Every time my breathing got tight, I wondered how I was going to find albuterol to help. Every time I got sick, I wondered if this was the cold that would turn into pneumonia or a sinus infection or bronchitis.

It sucked! The anxiety of knowing I couldn't afford medicine or medical care was a constant stressor. I had to swallow my pride every time I had to ask my grandmother if I could use her albuterol inhaler. I spent months in pain when my wisdom teeth got infected and I couldn't open my mouth.

Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine does more than offer medical care to Polk County's working uninsured. They offer peace of mind to people like me, who lived in terror of having to go to a doctor. They offer relief to families who make too much to qualify for Medicaid but can't afford health care. They offer dignified care to older patients who deal with diabetes, dental problems, or chronic conditions.

You can make a difference!

$50 pays for a patient to get treatment at the LVIM facility. When you donate to them, you're not just helping out a nonprofit: you're offering peace of mind to someone who needs care.