Upset with the system

Have you every had a problem that feels so big that you feel like your running around in circles... because no matter what you do it feels like your hitting a brick wall?
My dear sister found out six weeks ago that she has some bad problems with her eyes (the problem started 3 weeks before but it took a bit to get her into a doctor). The doctor said if she does not have surgery in the next three to six months (of that six weeks have already passed) there will be nothing they can do to save her eye sight. She had really good insurance through her husbands work, but when he passed a few years ago they wanted her to pay $925.00 a month, so she had to cancel it and keep her fingers crossed. That worked for the last nine years but now this has come up. I have tried everything I know to try. She always said she would not ask for help but I checked with medicaid and with her pension (from her husband) she makes too much so they turned her down (not official letter, the lady said she made too much) and will get the rejection letter in the mail soon. They told us to apply for SSI, she was turned down last week (received rejection letter in the mail for that one already) we also applied for disability because until she has her surgery she is considered legally blind... but we found out that that has a 24 month waiting period (because she is only 61) if she will even be approved to get on! The Lions club said she makes $200.00 too much a month for their help, even with her adopted son counted and her grand daughter (its just the three of them at home one is 12 and the other 6) I don't understand she doesn't make an outrageous amount of money, just enough to pay her bills and a bit left over for groceries and gas! I am sorry I am rambling but I hung up the phone a few hours ago in tears. As a last resort I called her doctors office, the one that would be doing the surgery, and explained to the office how her finances are. He charged her $385 for the first visit that they said she had to pay in cash or check (she did) the second visit was a lot of testing and they said they gave her a discount but they still charged her $1,085.00 (again check or cash and had to be paid in full) now she only has $85.00 in her savings. I explained this to the office attendant and she said she would talk to the doctor and call back. She did... and in a very sweet voice....said the doctor will set her up on payments (I was so happy....for a minute) then she said: but she needs $10,000 cash up front for him and $3,000 cash up front for the surgery center and then they will set her up on payments on the remaining balance and that would be in the neighborhood of $15,000. I am sorry this is so long but I just had to get it off my chest, we help sooo many people even in other countries, why can I get no help for my sister when the help would save her sight?  I am just so upset and writing it down seems to take a little of the tightness in my chest away if only for a while. Please, anyone out there, can you keep my sister Pat in your prayers... that this will turn out okay and she will not loose her sight? My sister is such a sweet person she has in the past taken in so may children in need into her home and she even became a foster parent for a while until her husband died. I know there is not a magic pill out there. It's just when you have spent your whole life helping others like my sister has, and never ask for help for herself, the one time when help is needed you would think in this great country we live in it would not be allowed for someone to go blind and she would get help when surgery is all that is needed. Thanks for listening.