Accounting Controller Amy Riddle paid forward $500 to Edith and Donald Ellis of Laurens, to help with expenses after Edith’s cancer diagnosis.
Amy said, “Last December Edith started feeling sick. Her family doctor did bloodwork and Edith was called a few days later and told to go immediately to the E.R. She was diagnosed with leukemia.”
Months later, after a brief remission, Edith and Donald travelled to the Mayo Clinic in Florida for treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). They’ve been there since May.
According to cancer.gov, AML is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. It is the most common type of acute leukemia in adults, and it usually gets worse quickly if it is not treated.
Amy added, “They are trying to get Edith’s body ready for a bone marrow transplant, and expenses are piling up since they’ve been at the Mayo Clinic for months.”
“They ask for your prayers that Edith will be ready for the bone marrow transplant depending on how she responds to aggressive chemo treatments. And they both want to say thank you to Laurens Electric for this wonderful, unexpected blessing.”
Mayo Clinic is the largest integrated, not-for-profit medical group practice in the world. To find out more visit mayoclinic.org.
Laurens Electric’s Pay It Forward program began in 2015.
Every Laurens Electric Cooperative employee is entered into a random drawing to receive $500 to pay forward in any way they choose.
Each month a new name is drawn, and the employee then has one month to apply the funds toward their own act of kindness.
This initiative is budget-neutral; the funds come from Laurens Electric’s charity events, which employee volunteers make possible.