Illness can happen to anyone at any time. For the Kremer family, they happen to share the genetic mutations for a disease called Huntington's. This disease causes a variety of complex symptoms, including behavior and personality changes, difficulty with movement, and even trouble thinking. For the patient, it means they will eventually need around-the-clock care to keep safe and be able to function. That's exactly why Peter had to fight for his sister.
Peter is a local video editor for an outdoors program and a caretaker for his two sisters with Huntington’s disease. His sister, Veronica, more recently got to a place where she could no longer live alone for danger to herself. She had times where she would turn on a stove and walk away, incidences of walking into the middle of the street alone only to be returned by police, had gotten mixed up in a financial scam, and missed medical needs due to the disease’s nature. After becoming a conservator for her, Peter knew he had to get his sister onto CHOICES, a program that supplies long-term support for those with disabilities. The process is often grueling for patients and their families.
Peter needed help with the process but couldn't afford a lawyer. At the same time, his sister was placed under psychiatric observation, making matters more complicated. Without CHOICES, he was looking at spending over $10,000 a month for his sister's care. With all of her progressing needs, he also knew he could not take care of her himself. To get the care she needed, Peter reached out to the Tennessee Justice Center. Through the work of TJC and the power of CHOICES, he was able to get his two sisters a room together at the same facility.
However, his anxieties about the future of their finances are still alive and well, as he has many questions that have gone unanswered by the program. Peter states "I wish it was less of a struggle to go through [the system], but that’s a symptom of our national healthcare system." He says the biggest struggle he had with the program was the constant uncertainty of the payment and communication infrastructure. Peter finds that if that could change, it would create a much better system for everyone. "I am not asking for a handout, I am just asking for help," Peter says "let us worry about our people, not the money.”
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