Vail Valley Charitable Fund: Eager to pay it forward

As a longtime local of the Vail Valley, I am no stranger to the adventures and fun we choose to immerse ourselves in. My life revolves around playing (hard) in our mountains, often to the detriment of my own body.

My summers consist of volunteering and traveling to underserved places in the world with Children’s Global Alliance. I am self-employed, free to do a job I love, play in a home I love, and volunteer with an organization I love. Being self-employed also comes with the burden of no paid vacation days, no sick days, and whatever basic insurance I can afford.

In 2023, I finally sought out medical help for a hand injury that I had assumed was arthritis from overuse as a hairstylist for 10 years. To my surprise and extreme disappointment, it was, in fact, a torn ligament. To do my job without pain, it was recommended that a repair was necessary. I underwent hand surgery in December and subsequently missed two months of work for recovery. My insurance deductible, out-of-pocket max, occupational therapy, and missed work made a huge dent in my finances. I travelled with Children’s Global Alliance as I had committed to do and returned in August in financial strain and in more pain than before I left.

After multiple steroid injections, it was decided to do an MRI, and we discovered that the repair did not take. The only option to returning to a pain-free life and a fully functioning career was a ligament reconstruction. I was still facing medical balances on my previous surgery, and the down time for the second operation was 10 weeks.

I had already taken out a loan and was not in a position to take out another. I was in a complete panic, trying to figure out how to fix my hand, the source of my livelihood, while keeping my home, my vehicle, my workspace and keeping myself and my pets fed. I had heard of the Vail Valley Charitable Fund from another friend and decided to reach out. Surely, as a Vail Valley local, active community member and assistant director of a local nonprofit, I fit the criteria for someone who could be helped.

Support Local Journalism

Donate

The Vail Valley Charitable Fund came through for me, supporting me financially while I was recovering from surgery. This money gave me the peace of mind to allow myself the time to fully recover. My mind was at ease knowing I was not going to max out credit cards, or overextend family and friends to keep myself afloat. I am so incredibly grateful to this organization for recognizing my need and being there to help. I can now return to work at a healthy pace and one day contribute to the very organization that supported me in my time of need.

Thank you to the Vail Valley Charitable Fund, Dr. Randy Viola and his team, Lisa Brown, Kara Bolwell and mom and dad for helping me through this difficult but necessary recovery. I am eager to pay it forward.

Karlie Cummins is a Vail Valley Charitable Fund grant recipient. Find out more about the mission at VVCF.org.