A 15-year-old energetic Indiana girl loved playing volleyball and softball and posting fun videos on TikTok. She enjoyed life until the day doctors made a scary diagnosis, and it turned her life upside down.
Life surprises people in unexpected ways. While some people are overjoyed by what life throws at them, others feel a shiver run down their spine, especially when the doctors tell them about a disease they haven't heard of before.
The teenager in today's story also experienced something similar, and her parents stood by her side while the doctors treated her. However, soon, her parents realized their finances were getting out of control because of the rising inflation. It seemed like they couldn't afford their daughter's treatment.
Jinger Vincent. | Source: YouTube/CBS Mornings
THE SHOCKING REVELATION
Jinger Vincent from Knox, Indiana, was living her best life when life surprised her with something unexpected. She was an energetic young girl who passionately played softball and volleyball.
Like other teen girls, Jinger loved styling her hair and making trendy TikTok videos. However, the teenage girl had no idea she would suddenly stop doing her favorite activities because of her health condition.
In 2021, the doctors diagnosed Jinger with bone cancer, leaving her parents, Keith and Analiza Vincent, in shock. Never in a million years had they thought their little girl would have to consult an oncologist.
Jinger Vincent. | Source: YouTube/CBS Mornings
THE REACTION
Jinger had only heard about bone cancer on social media and through movies, but hearing the doctors tell her that the disease was inside her own body was a terrifying experience. She recalled:
"The first thought that I had was don't cry. I was in front of my parents, and I wanted to be strong for them."
Keith and Analiza felt terrible watching their once-active daughter go through multiple chemotherapy sessions that drained her energy. They wanted their girl to defeat cancer as soon as possible, not knowing they had to face many hurdles before things would improve.
Analiza and Keith Vincent. | Source: YouTube/CBS Mornings
THE TREATMENT
Treating Jinger's bone cancer involved multiple surgeries and chemotherapy sessions. She had to visit the hospital every other day, traveling miles away from her home. Her parents accompanied her on every trip to the hospital, but things had started to get complicated for them.
They had to find another way to make ends meet without compromising their daughter's needs.
With the hike in gas prices and the increasing inflation, Keith and Analiza had to resort to loans to take their daughter to the hospital daily. They couldn't afford the fuel expenses, which amounted to more than $200 per week.
Keith Vincent. | Source: YouTube/CBS Mornings
THE NEVER-ENDING EXPENSES
Apart from their daughter's cancer treatment expenses, the Vincents had to pay their mortgage, utility, and grocery bills. It was getting difficult to make ends meet with their limited income, so they had to take out high-interest loans. Meanwhile, Jinger said:
"Having to watch them, 'We have to pay this bill. We have to pay that.' And I'm downstairs, and I hear all of that. It just seems so stressful, and I feel bad for them."
To pay the ever-increasing gas bills, the Vincents decided to cut down on their groceries and take short-term high-interest loans to bear their monthly expenses. Soon, they found another solution to their problem.
Jinger Vincent. | Source: YouTube/CBS Mornings
THE TEMPORARY SOLUTION
Often, the Vincents stayed at the temporary housing near Jinger's hospital to save their gas expenses. The Ronald McDonald House provided the accommodation, and the demand for this service has increased since the surge in gas prices.
Keith said it wasn't easy to see his athletic and vibrant daughter "wasting away in bed" because of her illness. He felt terrible but was hopeful his little girl would soon recover and live her life as she did before. He added:
"People have certain bickerings, everyday trials. Oh, rent, food, you know, but you kind of, like, work it out. When you got cancer, that kind of stuff fades away."
Keith Vincent. | Source: YouTube/CBS Mornings
MANAGING THE FINANCES
Despite taking high-interest loans, managing finances was getting difficult for Keith and Analiza. They had to find another way to make ends meet without compromising their daughter's needs. Just then, Analiza's coworkers came up with a brilliant idea.
They set up a GoFundMe page for Jinger where they explained how she was diagnosed with bone cancer and how it was getting difficult for the Vincents to make ends meet. They wrote on behalf of Analiza:
"We are taking donations to help our Daughter Jinger Vincent with medical, travel, food, and lodging expenses."
Analiza and Keith Vincent. | Source: YouTube/CBS Mornings
FUNDRAISING
The Vincents had set a goal of $10,000, but the donations soon surpassed that amount. As of July 2022, the contributions stand at $70,000, and people still give what they can to help Jinger's parents.
After receiving an overwhelming response on the GoFundMe page, the Vincents thanked the hundreds of people who helped them during their time of need. They wrote a heartfelt message on the website and asked people to direct their donations to the Ronald McDonald House in South Bend, Indiana.
Meanwhile, Analiza said she wasn't worried about being unable to afford rent or groceries. All she cared about was her little girl, trying her best to beat cancer. "The big picture is her," Analiza added.
Despite not having enough money to pay for the fuel expenses to treat their daughter, the Vincents didn't give up. Soon, people stepped up to help them through the GoFundMe page. The Vincents had never thought they would receive an overwhelming response from people they didn't know.
Share this story with your friends and family to help Jinger and her loving parents deal with the most difficult phase of their lives.
Click here to read another story about a man who shaved his daughter's head after she made fun of her classmate with cancer.
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