SA woman rescued from fire running out of options after insurance companies no longer covering her

SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio woman said she's running out of money and time in her effort to get home after she lost her belongings in a house fire.

Firefighters rescued Christine Kindred from her burning home on Wild Oak Drive in mid-September. She was taken to a rehabilitation facility and has been waiting to return home since then.

Recently, she found out her health insurance will no longer cover her stay at the facility and she will have to pay out of pocket.

"Every day that I'm here is $175, money that I don't even have. I just want to go home," Kindred said.

Volunteers such as Chuck Slaughter have been trying to get Kindred's home in shape, but it's been a slow process.

"We didn't get the funds that I was expecting to get to make this happen quicker and faster," he said.

Slaughter said a few companies have donated supplies and free labor, and he and Kindred have also had to put down money to pay for the work. This weekend, Slaughter hopes to have an electrician come and have the windows installed so that Kindred can go back home.

But Kindred said there are still other things she must deal with, such as restoring her utilities, catching up on old bills and trying to find a new home insurance company to help her since her last insurance company dropped her just months before the fire.

Kindred said agencies that can help require her to go to the office in person, but she's in a wheelchair and uses an oxygen tank and has no way to get there.

"I wish there was some insurance company listening that could even reach out to me, would be willing to help me, you know, reasonable that I can pay, you know, every month, like I was paying," she said.

Slaughter hopes to have the windows installed in Kindred's home by early next week.


About the Author:

Patty Santos joined the KSAT 12 News team in July 2017. She has a proven track record of reporting on hard-hitting news that affects the community.