Annual Lights for Life Fundraiser at Saint Joseph Berea to Provide Assistance to Families in Need - Archived

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David McArthur, Media Relations
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Annual Lights for Life Fundraiser at Saint Joseph Berea
to Provide Assistance to Families in Need
Community invited to participate in event on Dec. 9, 2017

Berea, Ky. (November 21, 2017) –The Saint Joseph Berea Foundation, part of KentuckyOne Health, is planning its annual holiday fundraiser, Lights for Life, to help families in need in the Berea community. Now in its 31st year, Lights for Life provides a tribute to loved ones, and also raises funds to provide emergency assistance and medications year-round for underinsured and low-income patients in the Saint Joseph Berea service area.

With a $10 donation, a light can be purchased on the Lights for Life Christmas tree, in honor or in memory of a friend or loved one. The names of those individuals will be read and honored during a special Christmas tree lighting on the front lawn of Saint Joseph Berea on Saturday, December 9, 2017 at 7 p.m. Refreshments and entertainment will be provided for community members in attendance.

Donations received through the program help provide financial assistance to patients and families that cannot afford medical care. While emergency departments treat every patient regardless of their ability to pay, sometimes patients need prescriptions and additional follow-up care that they cannot afford. Without the medication and medical supplies they need, many patients end up back in the emergency room.

Patients who have benefited from the Lights for Life program include a 26-year-old man who arrived to the emergency room with diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious complication of insulin dependent diabetes that can be fatal if left untreated. Diabetic ketoacidosis can develop within 24 hours without insulin. The patient had been without insulin for two days and couldn’t afford to purchase it, due to taking a new job and having insurance that had not yet taken effect. Funding from Lights for Life helped to pay for him to get insulin, to keep him healthy and prevent him from being readmitted to the hospital.

“We hope that community members will join us for this wonderful event to help patients in need, and to honor loved ones and friends,” said Leslie Smart, president, Saint Joseph Berea Foundation. “Together, we can celebrate the holiday season by giving back to those in the Berea community. This is a wonderful tradition that will have a lasting impact on community members.”

There are three convenient ways to donate to Lights for Life. Community members can donate online at kentuckyonehealth.org/lightsforlife, by phone at 859.313.2014, or send a donation to the Saint Joseph Berea Foundation, Attn: Stephen Clatos, 701 Bob O’ Link Drive, Suite 200, Lexington, KY 40504.

For additional information on this event, contact Stephen Clatos at [email protected].

About Saint Joseph Berea Foundation
Saint Joseph Berea Foundation supports KentuckyOne Health’s drive for excellence by inspiring donors to make a tangible difference through their philanthropic investment in outstanding patient care facilities and services, the education of caregivers, advanced clinical research and improved access to quality medical care.

About KentuckyOne Health
KentuckyOne Health, one of the largest and most comprehensive health systems in the Commonwealth, includes hospitals, physician groups, clinics, primary care centers, specialty institutes and home health agencies in Kentucky and southern Indiana. KentuckyOne Health is dedicated to bringing wellness, healing and hope to all, including the underserved.

 
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