Donald & Tracey Kiesling, Brady, TX

A few years ago I saw a segment on Christian Healthcare Ministries on Fox News’ “Huckabee” show. I felt compelled to look into CHM, especially after watching two members give their testimonies on the show. I called the ministry and asked a lot of questions, eager to make the switch.

Three years passed without any major medical issues. Then, on May 19, 2014, my 59-year-old husband experienced heart attack symptoms. He had never before been ill. He had complained of numbness in his left arm for several weeks, but nothing more. On that morning, however, he was clammy and sweating. His arm was numb, though there was no pain.

I laid hands on him and prayed over him. He began to feel better and left to work at one of our farms. The next day he seemed fine as well, but as the third day arrived, he was up and down throughout the night due to what he thought was indigestion.

We contacted a physician friend in nearby San Angelo. He got us an appointment the next day, during which an EKG was performed. Results were abnormal, so medical staff did further testing and determined he would need a stent. More testing revealed three heart blockages, two major and one minor. We scheduled surgery immediately.

Donald recovered very quickly. The doctors said he was strong and healthy in general, and the day after he came home from the hospital, he was back to work in the cotton field and overseeing the planting. At 11 weeks post-surgery, he was back to normal.

I called CHM after we returned home from surgery. The staff was very helpful, talking me through what to do as bills came in. The first was our physician bill totaling $18,616, not including some small out-of-pocket payments. The physician offered a 25 percent discount that was only applicable if paid by a certain time. The hospital, too, offered a time-sensitive discount (50 percent). The bill was $83,278 before the reduction.

I quickly completed the CHM Sharing Request Packet and faxed them (along with the itemized bills) to the ministry.

I called the next day to verify their receipt. A kind staff member named Doug Dillard assured me they had arrived and gave me the name of our Member Bill Processing representative, Jennifer Brotherton. She, too, was very helpful. CHM shared a total of $59,068 in medical bills after the discounts.

The most important thing I can share about our CHM experience is that we never had to panic and there was no drama. Everything flowed smoothly. CHM helped make our hospital experience seem like a “blip on the radar” because they gave us peace of mind. We didn’t worry about how the bills were going to be paid because Christian Healthcare Ministries was there for us.

What a blessing, too, to be part of a spiritual support system from CHM members. My husband received cards and letters of encouragement from folks all over the country. Throughout our ordeal, God gave us a great revelation of His grace, love and faithfulness. We are truly grateful, and I definitely recommend CHM to everyone.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!