Posted: Thursday, April 11, 2013 8:30 am
By Greg Densmore Managing Editor | Katy Times
Rebecca (Ree) Martin can’t stop the tears from falling when she talks about her employers, Jeff and Debbie Krienik, owners of Brite Health Care, a small, durable medical equipment company in Katy.
“They’ve gone so far out of their way for me,” she said in a quivering voice. “Rather than getting rid of me, they’ve jumped in behind me and my family. If it wasn’t for Jeff and Debbie, I don’t know where we’d be right now.’’
Stricken with a rare form of cancer, Martin is currently taking a “pretty incredible regimen” of cancer drugs in an effort to shrink her tumors. Her life is a constant whirlwind of appointments and treatments as she travels back and forth from her home to the MD Anderson Regional Care Center in Katy. Through it all, Martin still gets a paycheck, which has meant the world to her and her family.
“They’ve been so supportive,” said Martin. “They’ve kept me on the payroll. I still have an office and I go in when I can. They also give me work to do at home. It’s been a godsend.”
Martin had been employed at Brite Health Care, a “mom-and-pop” operation with 25 employees, for about three months last year when she was diagnosed with small cell cervical cancer (SCCC), a subtype of cervical cancer that is so rare that there is no treatment protocol and only 100 new cases are reported in the U.S. every year. Only 29 percent of women diagnosed with SCCC survive.
“If you catch it early, you stand a chance, and we caught it early,” she said. “It’s real scary, but I have to keep fighting for my kids and my husband. They’ve all sacrificed so much for me.”
Martin underwent a radical hysterectomy in mid-November, followed by 28 radiation treatments and six weeks of chemotherapy. She is currently taking a “chemo cocktail” consisting of more radiation treatments as well as chemotherapy administered through a port catheter in her chest.
“All things considered, I’m actually doing quite well,” she said.
Martin and her husband, Eric, and their two children, 15-year-old Courtney and eight-year-old Joshua, live in Katy’s Lakes of Bridgewater neighborhood. Eric’s brother, Roy, also lives with them.
Martin has racked up $120,000 in medical bills so far, with more to come. To make matters worse, she didn’t qualify for disability benefits. But this is where Jeff and Debbie Krienik stepped up to the plate.
Martin said she was talking with Jeff shortly after learning of her diagnosis when she broke into tears.
“He asked me what was wrong and I told him about my diagnosis and that I was going to be treated at the MD Anderson Regional Care Center in Katy,” she said. “I told him I understood if he had to replace me and he never skipped a beat. He told me, ‘don’t worry about it because everything was going to be okay.’ I couldn’t believe it.’’
Not only does Martin continue to get paid, but she also received a Christmas bonus check like her fellow employees.
“I was undergoing radiation treatment and wasn’t working at all at the time,” she explained. “He just told me, ‘Merry Christmas.’ That was all he said.”
The couple has also volunteered to take Martin for her treatments, and they send her positive texts and e-mails in an effort to keep her spirits up.
“I texted Debbie once and told her I would understand if they had to let me go,” she said.
“She texted me back to tell me, ‘we’re not giving up on you. You’re part of our family.’ They’ve just bent over backwards for me and my family.’’
Another huge boost for the family has come from Team Ree, a Facebook group made up of Martin’s friends and family that showers her with positive thoughts and prayers. Martin’s best friend, Cassie Mondel, is the Facebook page administrator. Mondel also came through for Martin at Christmas by going out and doing all the gift shopping for Courtney and Joshua.
“She handed me the gifts, and said, ‘here, go be a Mom to your kids.’ That was really great; it took a load off my mind,” said Martin.
And when Martin decided to shave her hair and donate it to Locks of Love, Mondel and eight more of Martin’s friends joined in.
“I wasn’t losing my hair at the time, but I knew I was going to, so I decided I wanted some little girl to have it,” she said. “I cut off 11-3/4 inches [of her hair] and donated it. I had a big group do the same, including my son. Cassie had beautiful red hair which she buzzed to the skin, just like I did.”
As for the Team Ree Facebook page, Martin constantly receives posts from her friends and family that encourage and support her — and Martin reciprocates.
One recent post alerted Team Ree members that Martin had received her port catheter.
“Okay Prayer Warriors, Rebecca is getting her port cath put in…in case any of you have no idea what this is, it’s a catheter they put in along your neck in a vein towards your heart…that way, she doesn’t have to wreck her veins for her chemo…”
In a post sent just after Easter, Martin said she woke up Easter morning pain free, ”and was able to start our turkey, attend church and be thankful for another day to try. Happy Easter Team Ree! Thank you for the love and prayers that help me get through each day!”
Martin said she was overwhelmed by the amount of support she’s been receiving from both her employers, employees, friends and family.
“It’s very humbling for people to care the way they do,” she said.
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