By creator to www.firstcoastnews.com
JACKSONVILLE, Fla — Sunnie Smith’s identify will not be on the Veterans Memorial Wall, however she is being remembered as a hero on the battle traces and on her mattress of affliction.
“She was my hero,” stated Betty Smith.
Sunnie Smith did two excursions in Iraq, got here house and fought the largest battle of her life. We met the Smith household a yr in the past.
Sunnie Smith was within the coronary heart of her battle with liver illness and with the Veterans Affairs healthcare system.
“She wanted that liver and we stored ready and we stored ready to be placed on that record,” stated Betty Smith.
Betty Smith grew to become her daughter’s largest advocate and made appeals with the VA and together with her U.S. congressmen to place her daughter on the organ transplant record.
“She wanted a liver and she or he fought the illness with braveness,” she stated.
The military veteran was within the ultimate phases of liver failure. The household says throughout her second tour in Iraq she grew to become unwell, and shortly afterward, they found the supply of her sickness.
Smith stated in 2018, the VA, which was her major well being care supplier, advised them her daughter may be accepted by a middle in Virginia for a liver transplant. The maintain up was her MELD rating.
“She had not met that rating they needed her to have,” stated her mom.
When communication with the VA went silent, they contacted On Your Facet. We reached out to the VA and Smith was transferred to the Gainesville VA Hospital handled for every week and discharged.
However nonetheless no phrase on a liver transplant.
“She was so sturdy,” stated Smith.
The household stated the veteran wanted a MELD rating of 26.
MELD stands for “mannequin for end-stage liver illness” and the rating ranges from six to 40.
Smith advised us her daughter’s rating lastly reached 28, however she was too sick to be thought of for a transplant.
We do not know if the VA is in charge 100%, however the course of in getting the veteran’s degree of care elevated to a better precedence pissed off the household then, they usually stay dissatisfied with the VA and its course of.
“They stored saying the outreach is to the native department and they’re ready on the method,” she stated.
On Saturday, Military Veteran Sunnie Smith died from problems associated to her illness. She leaves behind a 10-year-old and lots of who beloved her.
Betty Smith desires her daughter to be remembered as a veteran who fought on the entrance traces and on her mattress of affliction.
“She was a courageous, sturdy will younger girl,” stated Betty Smith. “She was a fighter.”
RELATED: Jacksonville veteran in need of liver transplant waits for VA response; mother fears the worst
RELATED: Veterans Affairs recipients will receive $1,200 stimulus checks automatically
-- to www.firstcoastnews.com
