South Dakota Local Helps Member Weather Tough Times

July 19, 2010 – Watertown, SD Local 1724 fire fighter Steve Meyerink’s wife, Kari, has an immune system disorder and an accompanying gastrointestinal disorder. The combination of medical issues is so rare that one doctor told her that her condition may be named for her. As medical bills began to escalate, the Meyerinks’ extended Local 1724 family stepped in to help, providing financial assistance for the medical bills.

“Anytime any of our members faces a hardship, we try to do what we can to help,” says Local 1724 President Tyler McElhany. “We believe that you shouldn’t have to worry about money when you are sick, so we took up a collection. Part of the money is going straight to Kari’s medical bills and the other half is going toward a documentary called ‘Dying for Help,’ which will raise awareness about rare illnesses like Kari’s.”

Kari has Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID), as well as a gastrointestinal disorder which seems to be brought on by the CVID. CVID is a rare condition believed to be a genetically determined primary immune defect which weakens the immune system, making the patient more susceptible to viruses and diseases.

In three years, Kari has spent nearly 500 days in the hospital and has had 15 surgeries. Just this year alone, medical bills have climbed to $250,000. The Meyerinks have health insurance, but it doesn’t cover all costs.

“Since most of the specialists she has been referred to have been out of state, just travel costs alone have been overwhelming,” says Meyerink.

Recently, she was referred to a specialist at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. She spent three weeks there while doctors tried to determine her condition’s cause and a better course of treatment. She returned home without concrete answers and will soon have to go back to Los Angeles for more tests and to try still more treatment options.

Meanwhile, family members have started a Facebook page called “Friends and Family of Kari Blais Meyerink.” The page led to representatives from the Alliance for Plasma Surgeries, an organization which not only helped the Meyerinks find knowledgeable doctors, but invited them to participate in the “Dying for Help” documentary. Click here for information about the film.