After 6 months in the Hospital – Ray Fund
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The Unexpected Hospital Visit
It was April 1, 2018, Easter Sunday. Brian and Sebrina had gone to church earlier that day. Sebrina was not feeling good but went to church anyway. She had a doctor’s appointment later in the week because she had not been feeling very well at all for some time. But spring break was starting on Monday and Sebrina had refused to take time off from her class to go to the doctor. But now she would finally go during spring break. They lay down to take their Sunday naps as usual. But when Brian woke up he found Sebrina in a fetal position on the bed and he knew something was wrong. When he asked her what was wrong she said they needed to go to the hospital. So they got in their car and drove to the hospital.
<Sebrina on her birthday, 2.5 months after she was admitted>
(If you don’t know the Rays there is a Ray 101 at the end)
At The Hospital
They arrived at the hospital at 6:30 PM and the emergency room was very busy. They would bring Sebrina to the back to look at her but then send her back to the waiting area because there was no bed available. Finally at 2:30 AM a bed was found and she was admitted to the hospital. She was first taken to the main floor but did not stay there long. Her case was so critical they moved her to the ICU.
The Angry Pancreas
The problem was Sebrina had severe acute pancreatitis and her pancreas was dying (pancreatic necrosis) and in the process all her other organs were shutting down also. They call the pancreas the angry organ because it absolutely does not desire you to bother it. As a result the medical team could only put her to sleep and support her body as her different organs shut down. If she survived they would be able to address the pancreas sometime in the future. The doctors emphasized that dealing with a dying pancreas Sebrina would have a long, slow, healing process. They would later learn that her doctor believed she had a 20% chance to survive.
<Sebrina celebrating her 60th birthday>
The Hospital Stay
The doctors were right the healing process is slow and long. Her body would take two steps forward then a step backward. Sebrina’s first hospital stay was 4 and half months with 3 and half being in the ICU. As a result she celebrated Mother’s Day, her 60th birthday, and her and Brian’s 39th wedding anniversary in the ICU. But with her positive, hopeful personality and strong faith in God she made it through. She got to know all the medical personnel and they all fell in love with her. On several occasions when she wasn't heavily sedated she would ask her family to bring in treats (food and sweet items) for the staff to show her appreciation for them. It was amazing watching the medical staff devour the sweets and Brian would joke with them about how he would have thought they ate healthier, they would laugh and say they do as they continued eating.
The Medical Future
As of November 26 Sebrina has been in and out of the hospital a total of 5 times. The first 4.5 month stay, a 1 month stay, a 3 week stay and 2 additional emergency room visits in which she was not admitted. In the beginning of January 2019 she has to go back for a 3 week stay for another procedure dealing with her pancreatitis. Her doctor says it will be at least until April of 2019 before they know how much of her pancreas has survived and if it is functioning at all. She is now a diabetic and must take insulin shots every day to control her sugar levels. She also can only eat a liquid diet. As a result most of her nutrient comes from intravenous feeding through her IV in her right arm. She is hooked up to the IV pump 14 hours a day, most of it during the sleeping hours. It will probably be the summer of 2019 before intravenous feeding is no longer needed.
Current Financial Need
So far Sebrina’s hospital bill is over 1.5 million dollars and climbing. Fortunately her insurance will cover the majority of that. As of when this is written there is over $25,000.00 in medical care the insurance is not paying. Plus they will need to pay the deductibles (2018 and 2019). Then there are all kinds of incidental expenses that come up that insurance doesn’t pay such as: She needs a new wardrobe because of the drains coming out her body to remove the bad fluids the pancreas produces, She had to buy a blender to puree her food, The special bed pillows so that she may sleep at an angle in the bed, The new shoes because her feet are swollen, The special sink for washing her hair because her scalp has developed a condition that required it to be washed 3 times a week (and most of her hair has fallen out because of it). But as you could imagine the largest financial burden is the loss of her teacher’s salary. She has not been paid since April and Brian does not make enough money to support them on his own. Her salary made up over half their household’s income. Plus Brian is Sebrina’s care giver and this consumes much of his time. Though she can be left home alone she is not totally independent and may only be left alone for a few hours.
<Sebrina ‘s 1st class as the lead teacher in Charlotte, Spring 1983>
Sebrina’s Teaching Future
For those who know her you know she loved her students and they loved her. Yet her students knew she was not the teacher to test the limits with. Her parents loved her also and always went above and beyond with volunteering for anything she asked them to do. Even the school administration would learn it was best to leave her alone and let her do her thing. The reward would be that her students would test 1, 2 or 3 grade levels above their grade on standardize test. Even though Sebrina taught every grade from kindergarten to 8th grade it was the babies she loved teaching the most (kindergarten and first grade).
<Sebrina and her students are just ending the Truck Day she organized for the school>
This has all come to an end now! Because of her medical situation she will not be able to go back to the class room. She has loved pouring into the lives of her students and her students have loved her. Every year she receives graduation invitations from former students and sometimes a former student will stop by her home.
Ray 101
<Ray family portrait in the winter of 2013>
Who is Sebrina
Sebrina was born in Montezuma, GA but grew up in Maitland, FL. She graduated from Edgewater High School in 1976. She graduated from the University Of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1981. But she also spent her freshman year at George Peabody College for Teachers (now a part of Vanderbilt University) and her sophomore year at the University of Central Florida. Upon graduating she began teaching in the public school system in Charlotte, NC. The next year she began teaching in private schools and that is the type of schools she taught in the rest of her career. Along the way she taught her babies in Charlotte, Portsmouth, VA and metro Atlanta, GA.
Who are Sebrina and Brian
Sebrina and Brian met at Edgewater high school in Orlando, FL in a speech class. Brian was a senior and Sebrina a junior and it was his last semester of school. They began dating about 4 weeks into the semester and have been together ever since. Brian graduated from Edgewater in 1975 and is a 1979 graduate of Tennessee State University in architectural engineering. Upon his graduation they moved to Charlotte where he worked as an engineer for Duke Power Company. While in Charlotte he entered the pastoral ministry which led to him going to Southeastern Free Will Baptist College in Virginia Beach, VA. Upon his graduation in 1987 they moved to Stone Mountain, Ga to work in ministry and have been there since. Stone Mountain is where their children grew to adulthood. Their two adult children Brian and Yolanda each have two children. While in metro Atlanta Brian has pastored one church for 12 years and worked with several others in the area. He is currently one the associate pastors at a Baptist church in Lawrenceville, GA.
Who am I that Wrote This
I am Brian, Sebrina’s husband for the last 39 years. Sebrina’s sister Sharon suggested I do this. So I told her I would and we began the process of writing Sebrina’s story. This is why I wrote in the 3rd person. All the funds given will go toward Sebrina’s medical expenses and the shortage we are experiencing in our living expenses due to Sebrina no longer being able to work.
In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33
It was April 1, 2018, Easter Sunday. Brian and Sebrina had gone to church earlier that day. Sebrina was not feeling good but went to church anyway. She had a doctor’s appointment later in the week because she had not been feeling very well at all for some time. But spring break was starting on Monday and Sebrina had refused to take time off from her class to go to the doctor. But now she would finally go during spring break. They lay down to take their Sunday naps as usual. But when Brian woke up he found Sebrina in a fetal position on the bed and he knew something was wrong. When he asked her what was wrong she said they needed to go to the hospital. So they got in their car and drove to the hospital.
<Sebrina on her birthday, 2.5 months after she was admitted>(If you don’t know the Rays there is a Ray 101 at the end)
At The Hospital
They arrived at the hospital at 6:30 PM and the emergency room was very busy. They would bring Sebrina to the back to look at her but then send her back to the waiting area because there was no bed available. Finally at 2:30 AM a bed was found and she was admitted to the hospital. She was first taken to the main floor but did not stay there long. Her case was so critical they moved her to the ICU.
The Angry Pancreas
The problem was Sebrina had severe acute pancreatitis and her pancreas was dying (pancreatic necrosis) and in the process all her other organs were shutting down also. They call the pancreas the angry organ because it absolutely does not desire you to bother it. As a result the medical team could only put her to sleep and support her body as her different organs shut down. If she survived they would be able to address the pancreas sometime in the future. The doctors emphasized that dealing with a dying pancreas Sebrina would have a long, slow, healing process. They would later learn that her doctor believed she had a 20% chance to survive.
<Sebrina celebrating her 60th birthday>The Hospital Stay
The doctors were right the healing process is slow and long. Her body would take two steps forward then a step backward. Sebrina’s first hospital stay was 4 and half months with 3 and half being in the ICU. As a result she celebrated Mother’s Day, her 60th birthday, and her and Brian’s 39th wedding anniversary in the ICU. But with her positive, hopeful personality and strong faith in God she made it through. She got to know all the medical personnel and they all fell in love with her. On several occasions when she wasn't heavily sedated she would ask her family to bring in treats (food and sweet items) for the staff to show her appreciation for them. It was amazing watching the medical staff devour the sweets and Brian would joke with them about how he would have thought they ate healthier, they would laugh and say they do as they continued eating.
The Medical Future
As of November 26 Sebrina has been in and out of the hospital a total of 5 times. The first 4.5 month stay, a 1 month stay, a 3 week stay and 2 additional emergency room visits in which she was not admitted. In the beginning of January 2019 she has to go back for a 3 week stay for another procedure dealing with her pancreatitis. Her doctor says it will be at least until April of 2019 before they know how much of her pancreas has survived and if it is functioning at all. She is now a diabetic and must take insulin shots every day to control her sugar levels. She also can only eat a liquid diet. As a result most of her nutrient comes from intravenous feeding through her IV in her right arm. She is hooked up to the IV pump 14 hours a day, most of it during the sleeping hours. It will probably be the summer of 2019 before intravenous feeding is no longer needed.
Current Financial Need
So far Sebrina’s hospital bill is over 1.5 million dollars and climbing. Fortunately her insurance will cover the majority of that. As of when this is written there is over $25,000.00 in medical care the insurance is not paying. Plus they will need to pay the deductibles (2018 and 2019). Then there are all kinds of incidental expenses that come up that insurance doesn’t pay such as: She needs a new wardrobe because of the drains coming out her body to remove the bad fluids the pancreas produces, She had to buy a blender to puree her food, The special bed pillows so that she may sleep at an angle in the bed, The new shoes because her feet are swollen, The special sink for washing her hair because her scalp has developed a condition that required it to be washed 3 times a week (and most of her hair has fallen out because of it). But as you could imagine the largest financial burden is the loss of her teacher’s salary. She has not been paid since April and Brian does not make enough money to support them on his own. Her salary made up over half their household’s income. Plus Brian is Sebrina’s care giver and this consumes much of his time. Though she can be left home alone she is not totally independent and may only be left alone for a few hours.
<Sebrina ‘s 1st class as the lead teacher in Charlotte, Spring 1983>Sebrina’s Teaching Future
For those who know her you know she loved her students and they loved her. Yet her students knew she was not the teacher to test the limits with. Her parents loved her also and always went above and beyond with volunteering for anything she asked them to do. Even the school administration would learn it was best to leave her alone and let her do her thing. The reward would be that her students would test 1, 2 or 3 grade levels above their grade on standardize test. Even though Sebrina taught every grade from kindergarten to 8th grade it was the babies she loved teaching the most (kindergarten and first grade).
<Sebrina and her students are just ending the Truck Day she organized for the school>This has all come to an end now! Because of her medical situation she will not be able to go back to the class room. She has loved pouring into the lives of her students and her students have loved her. Every year she receives graduation invitations from former students and sometimes a former student will stop by her home.
Ray 101
<Ray family portrait in the winter of 2013>Who is Sebrina
Sebrina was born in Montezuma, GA but grew up in Maitland, FL. She graduated from Edgewater High School in 1976. She graduated from the University Of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1981. But she also spent her freshman year at George Peabody College for Teachers (now a part of Vanderbilt University) and her sophomore year at the University of Central Florida. Upon graduating she began teaching in the public school system in Charlotte, NC. The next year she began teaching in private schools and that is the type of schools she taught in the rest of her career. Along the way she taught her babies in Charlotte, Portsmouth, VA and metro Atlanta, GA.
Who are Sebrina and Brian
Sebrina and Brian met at Edgewater high school in Orlando, FL in a speech class. Brian was a senior and Sebrina a junior and it was his last semester of school. They began dating about 4 weeks into the semester and have been together ever since. Brian graduated from Edgewater in 1975 and is a 1979 graduate of Tennessee State University in architectural engineering. Upon his graduation they moved to Charlotte where he worked as an engineer for Duke Power Company. While in Charlotte he entered the pastoral ministry which led to him going to Southeastern Free Will Baptist College in Virginia Beach, VA. Upon his graduation in 1987 they moved to Stone Mountain, Ga to work in ministry and have been there since. Stone Mountain is where their children grew to adulthood. Their two adult children Brian and Yolanda each have two children. While in metro Atlanta Brian has pastored one church for 12 years and worked with several others in the area. He is currently one the associate pastors at a Baptist church in Lawrenceville, GA.
Who am I that Wrote This
I am Brian, Sebrina’s husband for the last 39 years. Sebrina’s sister Sharon suggested I do this. So I told her I would and we began the process of writing Sebrina’s story. This is why I wrote in the 3rd person. All the funds given will go toward Sebrina’s medical expenses and the shortage we are experiencing in our living expenses due to Sebrina no longer being able to work.
In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33
Organizer
Brian Ray
Organizer
Stone Mountain, GA
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