Medical Expenses for Pamela Tollive
Donation protected
My mother, Pamela Tolliver, is currently hospitalized for several health complications. This is her third time in the hospital this year, and one of many hospitalizations she's had in the past six months. Today, 4/2/18, is her first day of dialysis, as she only has 8% of her kidney function remaining. Part of her heart has stiffened and no longer works properly.
Over the past three years, she has struggled with congestive heart failure, decreasing kidney function, excessive fluid production, poor oxygen levels, burning tongue syndrome, and chronic full-body pain. She uses a wheelchair and is on oxygen 24 hours a day. She is also being treated for symptoms of multiple myeloma (a blood plasma cancer), but is not well enough for a bone marrow biopsy to be conducted to determine its stage or aggressiveness. She has a host of specialists: an oncologist, cardiologist, pulmonologist, endocrinologist, nephrologist, nutritionist, and even an oral surgeon are on her team of care providers.
My father, Stephen, has been her sole caregiver throughout her illness, and he is exhausted and unwell himself. Despite home visits and endless paperwork, documenting her illness, mom has been denied in-home health care more than once per week (for assistance bathing, and with breathing treatments) to give my dad some respite. She was also denied Medicaid, even though my parents on on fixed income (Social Security) and cannot afford the extent of her treatment.
I am doing my best, as her only child, to help finance expenses for my parents such as groceries, household items, and gas money for my dad to travel to be with mom and help with her arrangements while she is hospitalized. She is in a hospital in Tennessee, about an hour away from where they live. When (if) she is well enough to be discharged, she will be relocated to a residential rehab facility that is about 45 minutes away from my parents' home.
Many of you know I am an independent Thirty-One Consultant, and I have hosted a few fundraisers for my mom, dontaing 100% of my sales commissions to her care. Unfortunately, it just isn't enough. It has helped and we are so grateful, but the need outweighs what we are currently able to provide for her. Her bills are in excess of $100,000 and are mounting daily, not counting the new costs for each treatment, day in the hospital, and now, with dialysis.
I would be humbled and grateful for any contribution that is made to assist with her care. My mother is a great person and she worked tirelessly to take excellent care of me and the rest of our family all throughout my life. She sacrificed so much for me and our family to make sure we have everything we needed and most of what we wanted. My father worked hard, too, until like mom, his body gave out. Both of my parents worked honest jobs day in and day out. They instilled in me the importance of a college education, and made sure that I would have an easier life than them. There are no words to express my gratitude for that. I am glad that they are people of character and goodwill - people I can always be proud to call my parents. Throughout my childhood, we always managed - mainly due to mom and dad's careful shepherding of what financial resources we had - but we never were rich, except in love.
My parents do not have savings and do not have retirement income and right now, the expenses of day to day life are a challenge. I can tell you that it is not easy watching my mother suffer and feeling helpless. It is not easy seeing my father be exhausted and sad and worried. If there is anything I can do to relieve that, even just a little bit, I am going to do it. It is not easy asking for help, but the time has come that we must do so.
So today, I ask for your help and your encouragement. If you feel compelled, please give in any amount and share this link. So many people in our world today are suffering and cannot afford the healthcare they need; now, my mother is one of them. My parents and I will be eternally grateful for any amount donated to assist with medical care and travel expenses. Thank you for your time, from the bottom of our hearts.
Sincerely,
The Tolliver Family
Stephen, Pamela, and Stephanie
The Hyman Family
Stephanie, Cory, and Harper
Over the past three years, she has struggled with congestive heart failure, decreasing kidney function, excessive fluid production, poor oxygen levels, burning tongue syndrome, and chronic full-body pain. She uses a wheelchair and is on oxygen 24 hours a day. She is also being treated for symptoms of multiple myeloma (a blood plasma cancer), but is not well enough for a bone marrow biopsy to be conducted to determine its stage or aggressiveness. She has a host of specialists: an oncologist, cardiologist, pulmonologist, endocrinologist, nephrologist, nutritionist, and even an oral surgeon are on her team of care providers.
My father, Stephen, has been her sole caregiver throughout her illness, and he is exhausted and unwell himself. Despite home visits and endless paperwork, documenting her illness, mom has been denied in-home health care more than once per week (for assistance bathing, and with breathing treatments) to give my dad some respite. She was also denied Medicaid, even though my parents on on fixed income (Social Security) and cannot afford the extent of her treatment.
I am doing my best, as her only child, to help finance expenses for my parents such as groceries, household items, and gas money for my dad to travel to be with mom and help with her arrangements while she is hospitalized. She is in a hospital in Tennessee, about an hour away from where they live. When (if) she is well enough to be discharged, she will be relocated to a residential rehab facility that is about 45 minutes away from my parents' home.
Many of you know I am an independent Thirty-One Consultant, and I have hosted a few fundraisers for my mom, dontaing 100% of my sales commissions to her care. Unfortunately, it just isn't enough. It has helped and we are so grateful, but the need outweighs what we are currently able to provide for her. Her bills are in excess of $100,000 and are mounting daily, not counting the new costs for each treatment, day in the hospital, and now, with dialysis.
I would be humbled and grateful for any contribution that is made to assist with her care. My mother is a great person and she worked tirelessly to take excellent care of me and the rest of our family all throughout my life. She sacrificed so much for me and our family to make sure we have everything we needed and most of what we wanted. My father worked hard, too, until like mom, his body gave out. Both of my parents worked honest jobs day in and day out. They instilled in me the importance of a college education, and made sure that I would have an easier life than them. There are no words to express my gratitude for that. I am glad that they are people of character and goodwill - people I can always be proud to call my parents. Throughout my childhood, we always managed - mainly due to mom and dad's careful shepherding of what financial resources we had - but we never were rich, except in love.
My parents do not have savings and do not have retirement income and right now, the expenses of day to day life are a challenge. I can tell you that it is not easy watching my mother suffer and feeling helpless. It is not easy seeing my father be exhausted and sad and worried. If there is anything I can do to relieve that, even just a little bit, I am going to do it. It is not easy asking for help, but the time has come that we must do so.
So today, I ask for your help and your encouragement. If you feel compelled, please give in any amount and share this link. So many people in our world today are suffering and cannot afford the healthcare they need; now, my mother is one of them. My parents and I will be eternally grateful for any amount donated to assist with medical care and travel expenses. Thank you for your time, from the bottom of our hearts.
Sincerely,
The Tolliver Family
Stephen, Pamela, and Stephanie
The Hyman Family
Stephanie, Cory, and Harper
Organizer
Stephanie A. Tolliver
Organizer
Gastonia, NC
