I had a car accident on April 18th, 1999, had massive internal damage which needed emergency surgery, or I would've died. Since then I've lost 3 jobs, had numerous hospital stays and ER visits, to get help with the chronic abdominal pain and pancreatitis I have from that accident. It's now 16 years later and the pain is the worse ever. I have constant severe pain, so my doctors told me to claim disability, I have but it's been already 4 years and I don't have a hearing date yet. My medical bills are massive, I've no income and don't qualify for Medicaid. I can't afford my medications unless my mom helps me, and she is a senior on a limited SSI payment. Tomorrow I'm having more surgery, the hospital didn't want treat me because I owe them. They want me to pay off thousands of dollars or make a payment plan, neither of which I am able to do. The surgeon told them she will do the surgery for free and told the ER billing office to bill me after my disability claim is settled. This why I love the doctors and nurses at Duke. I'm not just an account to them, I'm a patient and a person to them. And they always treat me with the utmost respect and caring..Thank God for them.