I am a college graduate living on my own. I currently work in non-profit journalism and recently moved home to be with my family when my mom's cancer came back and she eventually passed away from the disease. After losing my mom, I became very ill and the doctors were unable to figure out why I was so sick. I was eventually diagnosed with a chronic disease I will have for the rest of my life. After my diagnosis, I was sent immediately to the hospital, where I spent 15 days receiving treatment. I make just enough to cover my basic bills and had been living just fine until these unexpected medical costs happened. I took off a lot of time from work during my mom's time in hospice to care for her and then following her death as I dealt with immense grief. The week I was planning to go back to work full-time I became very sick and was hospitalized. I am finally back to work full-time, feeling so much better and have found ways to cope with my grief. The medical bills I am now facing are very overwhelming and a severe stress as I try to form a normal life again. I will need a lot of medications and IV infusions for the rest of my life and it would be so helpful to leave these bills behind and start fresh in 2014 so I can manage my medical costs. I currently have more than $2,000 in medical debt and $8,000 in credit card debt from the last year. This year has been the hardest of my life. I would be so grateful for the help as I have often felt so alone dealing with this disease and losing my mom. Just knowing there are people out there who care means more than I can express.