Faith Schreiner will get her bionic arm.
Schreiner was a recent guest on KVOE’s On-Air Chat to talk about her situation and her fundraising efforts. Schreiner was born without the part of her right arm below the elbow and has been raising money for months because the bionic arm costs over $40,000. Insurance has repeatedly denied her claim for the arm and has only covered part of her visits to a prosthetist.
During the program Wednesday, Schreiner received a surprise announcement that station owner Steve Sauder and his wife, Bobbi, would match local donations up to $8,000 to cover the remaining $16,000 she needed for the arm, including a bionic hand. The final community total? $10,652, meaning nearly $19,000 is going to Schreiner for her arm.
Schreiner was nearly speechless during KVOE’s 7:05 am newscast Friday.
On KVOE’s 7:05 am newscast Thursday, Steve Sauder said he felt it was important to help Schreiner.
Schreiner says she began seriously considering the prosthetic arm after learning she could be grappling with different medical issues like carpal tunnel syndrome or tennis elbow with her left arm — and also seeing potential career paths closed off without the prosthetic device.
During Friday’s morning newscast, Sauder credited the Emporia community for stepping up in the way it did.
Residents donated over $8,000 from the time the matching drive was announced on the On-Air Chat on Wednesday until noon Thursday, adding close to $3,000 more between noon and 5 pm.
Coach’s Grill and Bar also held a fundraiser for Schreiner on Thursday night, raising over $2,000 for the cause.
Find the full interview in the KVOE.com Audio Vault later today.
Photos from GoFundMe.com
