Jane Kim | Member of CMM Christian Medical Mutual Aid Society, Resident of New Jersey
Hello. My name is Jane Kim, and I live on the East Coast of the United States. A while back, I started feeling as if something was stuck in my throat, so I went to the hospital late last year for a thorough examination and was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Since I didn’t experience any discomfort in my daily life and had absolutely no pain, I believe it would never have been detected if it hadn’t been for that health screening.
After the test, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and it came as a huge shock. I felt as if my world had gone dark. Tears streamed down my face as I thought, “What will happen to my husband and our child?” and I cried my heart out. I also wondered, “What will people around me think if they find out I have cancer?” Around that time, I also began experiencing mild panic attacks.
Although my husband must have been shocked on the inside, he remained calm and encouraged me, saying, “Honey, don’t worry. These days, cancer isn’t an incurable disease, and the Lord will watch over us. Have faith.”
However, I also began to worry that the medical bills would be quite high since I didn’t have health insurance. Living in the U.S., medical expenses—not to mention health insurance premiums—are more expensive than in Korea, which was a burden.
However, three years ago, I learned about the CMM Christian Medical Mutual Aid Society through a church member’s recommendation. The membership fee was affordable, and the noble purpose of enabling Christians to participate in a ministry of sharing played a part in my decision, so I joined CMM without hesitation.
In a situation where surgery was urgently needed to remove the thyroid cancer before it spread, if I hadn’t received help to cover the costs, not only would I not have been able to have the surgery in a timely manner, but since my income had decreased during the pandemic and my savings had dwindled, I wouldn’t have been able to afford the surgery either.
Whenever I face difficult crises in life, they inevitably require a large sum of money, but what provided direct help during this hardship was the medical expense sharing program. It felt less like mere money and more like a source of hope, which gave me the strength to carry on.
As we face these challenges, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the staff and all members of the Christian Medical Mutual Aid Association for the grace and help God has provided through them, and I hope to spread the word about this ministry of sharing to even more people.
“Now, as you have plenty,
to supply their need,
so that later, when they have plenty,
they may supply your need,
so that there may be equality.”
– 2 Corinthians 8:14