2 teachers and 3 surgeries: we need your help.

Final Fundraiser Update 12.12.18: Thanks to Everyone for chipping in!

      Today, Chris and I are announcing the end of our medical costs fundraiser campaign. With your help, we received a grand total of $2,555 in contributions. Your donations made a difference - and we wanted to let you know how! Contributions helped defray these costs:

* Medical office visits (including one Emergency visit)
* Pre-and post-operative medications
* Physical therapy following these procedures, twice weekly
* Hospital parking and travel costs
* Food and home care supplies
* Monthly utilities

Your financial contributions have provided us a solid step up to recovery as we both heal from our surgeries. We appreciate each and every one of you for your compassion! Knowing that others care has been such a spiritual boost for us both. Your words of comfort and reassurance and kindness continue to resonate.

Thank you! Adam & Chris Freeman

Friends, Family, Community:

Asking for assistance is almost as hard as surgery itself. Perhaps the toughest part is the realization that we can’t overcome a medical financial hardship without asking for the kindness of others. We reach out to you, and wish to share our story.



Two teachers, three unexpected surgeries

First, to explain who we are, and what we do.  We both teach in elementary schools: I teach 3rd grade and my wife is a music specialist. 

2018 has been an unexpectedly eventful year for my wife and I, and not completely for the best reasons. The first surprise happened to me in May before third grade SOL tests. During a canine agility course I fell hard on my left shoulder, causing several tears within my rotator cuff. I put up with the painful limited function of that arm because I wanted to get my students off to a proper start with their first SOL test. That shoulder (luckily I could still write as I am right-handed) was repaired a month later - the day after teachers finished the school year.
Recovery and rehab to restore function following that injury extended from June 19 into the beginning of October, when my last evening PT sessions at the hospital center completed. My summer vacation was all about recovery, and depending on my wife Chris for getting me around and taking care of me. She played a crucial role in my getting back to good health, and I am so thankful for her kindness.

What came next this fall was a big shock that Chris and I would never have anticipated.

This “surprise” was our discovery that Chris had a spinal tumor, which would require delicate surgery to entangle from the nerve bundle of her spinal cord. This necessitated a laminectomy - cutting away a portion of a vertebra in order to access the spinal cord - in order to remove the attached meningioma. Thanks to a great neurosurgeon and so much positive support from family and friends, she is now on the first week of her path to recovery.


However, there was another surprise in store for us.

On Halloween, I misjudged a step when going to our front door and broke my fall with my outstretched right arm - and in doing so, tore the rotator cuff in that shoulder. Yes, that was bad. My best chance for this new injury to return to near-normal function would be for repair as soon as possible - waiting until Spring Break was not a recommended option.

We are very lucky, compared to millions of Americans unable to access high quality health care. We are truly blessed to have such caring friends and family who show concern and kindness in every situation. Unfortunately, financial reality for our two-teacher family means that we don’t have extra money that we need to pay for all of this. For me to take time off from work to assist Chris at the beginning of her recovery, and for her to take family medical leave from her school for at minimum 8 weeks created a family economic crisis.
There is no easy way for any family to afford to pay for unexpected hospitalizations, and we now have had two in one calendar year with a third to come in December.



Following my doctor's evaluations  I am scheduled to have surgical repair Thursday, December 6. My wife and I are taking the mindset that by then, she will be fully independent of my support (except for driving) and we will be using taxis as needed.
Here’s the bottom line: we are both supporting each other and caring for each other like we always have, and count ourselves lucky. I am fully focused on taking care of my family, my wife, and myself so long as I am physically able - every hour is precious, every moment has meaning. We are both  teachers, and know that our colleagues at our school sites care for us as well. We thank everyone for providing support for our students at school - who we miss greatly - during this time of challenge we are facing.

Our next phase in this medical journey will be challenging, but we are determined and have each other. December 6, I will have my second shoulder operation and begin rehab. Chris will be taking care of me once more, even as she is recovering herself. At this time, I hope to be physically ready to return to my classroom Monday, January 7, 2019. 

I created this GoFundMe Page to help offset these unexpected expenses, which we are unable to cover alone.

Please forward this email and link to anyone who may want to help two teachers struggling to defray medical expenses . Thank you so much for your generous donation.

11.20.18 Update: Another Scare, Another Opportunity to be Thankful

Right as we began to settle into a routine of recovery after her surgery last week, we had a sudden emergency last night. Chris has been experiencing painful cramping in her calf muscles since the day we left the hospital, but did not realize we should have mentioned it immediately. Yesterday, seven days after spine surgery, Chris called her neurosurgeon’s office to check in with a few questions about pain management and the ongoing pain that felt like a bad “charley horse” in her calf muscle. That phone conversation triggered a race to get an ultrasound test for the possibility of blood clots.

A few short hours after that phone call we were in the hospital Emergency Room, having confirmed that she indeed was suffering potentially life-threatening clotting or Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). The hospital support team helped us out perfectly, and after testing her compatibility for blood thinner medication Chris has begun a 3 to 6 month regimen of anticoagulant to prevent blood clots from forming. An important detail for Chris and I to be keenly aware of is that we must be extremely mindful of any bruise or cut, as even a minor injury could become serious if you're taking blood thinners.

Because of yesterday’s new medical expenses, we have adjusted our funding target to take this unexpected emergency visit into account. Please know that we view any contributions to our GoFundMe campaign with gratitude and deep appreciation.

Let us all be thankful for each other, as we are, here and now. We continue to support each other and remain positive as Chris continues to heal and return to her daily routines. And once again, we both thank you all for showing your care and concern in our well-being. Thank you!