Correction
The April and May issues inadvertently listed dates for a Southeast Area Rally in February 2025. The Southeast Area will not be hosting a rally in 2025 so that its volunteers can support FMCA’s 110th International Convention & RV Expo, scheduled for March 12 through 15, 2025, in Perry, Georgia. Family RVing regrets this error.
Unforeseen Circumstances
Even before I owned one, for years I said a motorhome is the only way to travel. But it never occurred to me what would happen if tragedy struck while I was many miles away from home. Such was the case when I was traveling in south Texas in January and suddenly found myself hospitalized.
I had not previously been diagnosed with diabetes, but I suspected I might have the disease when a wound suddenly developed on my foot in mid-December. Initially, I attempted to treat the wound myself. By mid-January, I was rushed to a hospital, where I learned not only that I had diabetes but that it had advanced to the point where I needed surgery to remove my leg.
With no family or friends nearby to assist, not only was I faced with life-changing surgery, but my motorhome was in an RV park some 30 miles away, and it was obvious I was not going to be able to personally move it any time soon, if ever.
Fortunately, I have been a member of FMCA since Mark Finnesgard introduced me to the organization when I camped next to him a few years earlier. While lying in the hospital bed, I recalled that FMCA has the FMCAssist Medical Emergency and Travel Assistance Program. I called the number provided, and the process began. Within hours I had been assured that my motorhome and personal car would be transported back to my home location.
With that major hurdle off the table, I was able to focus on more pressing issues, such as recovery from the surgery, rehab, and whatever was to come next. Over the next couple weeks, questions about my ongoing health concerns were addressed, and I could focus on getting back into a normal routine in the future.
However, the matter of how I would get back home was still up in the air. Again, the people at FMCAssist came to the rescue. A nurse from that organization began coordinating with the hospital and arranged to have me transported to a rehab facility in my home area upon discharge.
It was an incredibly smooth transition, and I feel a strong indebtedness to the leaders of FMCA who had the wisdom to put in place a program designed to aid its members in times of unforeseen crises such as I experienced. Emergencies are just a heartbeat away from all of us, regardless of age and financial situation. It is a comfort to know that provisions have been made to come alongside members at such times.
— Carland Whitaker, F519072
Point, Texas
Driven To Care In Tucson
The following is an excerpt from a letter FMCA received as a result of the charitable donation made thanks to FMCA’s Driven To Care activities during the convention in Tucson, Arizona, this past March.
Thank you very much for your donation of $8,059.50 to Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Southern Arizona. Your support for Candlelighters programs is much appreciated.
We provide programming throughout the year for local families who have a child with cancer and sickle cell disease. As you know, the challenges a family faces after a cancer diagnosis are multifaceted, and Candlelighters seeks to mitigate some of those challenges by providing assistance as needed. We work closely with the social workers to identify family needs. All of our programs are offered at no cost to the participants, and we rely on the generosity of the community to make this possible.
— Beverley Tidwell, Program Director
Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation Of Southern Arizona
We want to hear from you! Family RVing welcomes comments about articles published in the magazine or topics of interest to RV owners. Email readerswrite@fmca.com; mail to Readers Write, FMCA, 8291 Clough Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45244. Please include your name, city, and state/province. Letters may be edited for space and clarity.