Diane Austin Medical Bills
Donation protected
Diane is a mother of two sons–Holden, 9 and Gavin, 7–who is now facing devastating life changes, loss of limbs after a simple surgery went wrong, and the inability to pay for most of the medical bills because insurance won’t cover them.
On June 7, Diane went into what should have been a simple sinus surgery to help with chronic nasal infections she had been suffering from for months. The next day, she suffered from a 104-degree fever, a headache, nausea, rashes, vomiting, and diarrhea. She was taken to urgent care, where they eventually couldn’t find a blood pressure, and then she was rushed to the emergency room.
Somehow, Diane had contracted an infection during the sinus surgery that had quickly become septic(bacterial infection in blood stream). She was taken into an emergency surgery, where her entire large colon and part of her small bowel were removed. She then spent almost two weeks in the ICU, unable to see her sons, and was taken back to surgery for an illeostomy and given a feeding tube (peg) as well. She wasn’t able to speak again until she was extubated on June 17th—her first words were, "Happy Father's Day."
Because the infection became septic so drastically, Diane no longer has use of her fingers and feet, but she can currently stand briefly on her left foot. She struggles through having her wounds dosed with alcohol, wrapped, and unwrapped multiple times a day. She is also still suffering from a swollen small intestinal area with gas and stomach pains, a clogged feeding tube, anxiety, and minimal sleep. She is enduring physical therapy trying to regain mobility with hopes of returning home to her boys, husband, and the community that she knows and loves.
The doctors are advising amputation. There is a possibility of hand transplants and a right below-the-knee amputation, as well as an partial amputation on her left foot. The doctors are also hopeful that more can be done to improve her small intestine, bar any more infections or setbacks. However, most of the above won’t be covered by her insurance or social security.
The current estimate for what she’d have to pay out of pocket is over $500,000.
The insurance will pay to put Diane in a nursing home, but refuses to pay for at-home health care, prosthetics, or the necessary procedures. The worst case would be Diane being placed in a nursing home at 35 years old, where she could only get visitation from her boys and husband after school and work, but would no longer be able to live with them. The family has yet to hear back from Medicaid, but we’re hoping that Diane will be accepted so that she and her sons can have some insurance if she were no longer to have insurance from her job due to her condition.
We are asking for donations to this GoFundMe page to help pay off her medical bills that the insurance won’t cover, and for the ability to receive any prosthetics or at-home care she’s going to need moving forward.
Thank you for reading, and thank you in advance for anything you can give. Any little bit will help, even something as small as the price of a cup of coffee. Please share to spread the word even if you can’t help monetarily!
We thank God for His many blessings and that Diane is alive and can still hug her boys with her arms and talk to them. Through this whole ordeal her faith in God and multiple prayer group-support from Open Door Church, where she volunteers and where her boys to go to school and support has been a tremendous help. We thank everyone who has prayed and for the many churches across North Carolina, her family, and her friends that have gotten her this far.
All funds raised will be withdrawn in a special bank account on behalf of Diane and the family. Paula Loftin will work to oversee the withdrawals of the funds.
On June 7, Diane went into what should have been a simple sinus surgery to help with chronic nasal infections she had been suffering from for months. The next day, she suffered from a 104-degree fever, a headache, nausea, rashes, vomiting, and diarrhea. She was taken to urgent care, where they eventually couldn’t find a blood pressure, and then she was rushed to the emergency room.
Somehow, Diane had contracted an infection during the sinus surgery that had quickly become septic(bacterial infection in blood stream). She was taken into an emergency surgery, where her entire large colon and part of her small bowel were removed. She then spent almost two weeks in the ICU, unable to see her sons, and was taken back to surgery for an illeostomy and given a feeding tube (peg) as well. She wasn’t able to speak again until she was extubated on June 17th—her first words were, "Happy Father's Day."
Because the infection became septic so drastically, Diane no longer has use of her fingers and feet, but she can currently stand briefly on her left foot. She struggles through having her wounds dosed with alcohol, wrapped, and unwrapped multiple times a day. She is also still suffering from a swollen small intestinal area with gas and stomach pains, a clogged feeding tube, anxiety, and minimal sleep. She is enduring physical therapy trying to regain mobility with hopes of returning home to her boys, husband, and the community that she knows and loves.
The doctors are advising amputation. There is a possibility of hand transplants and a right below-the-knee amputation, as well as an partial amputation on her left foot. The doctors are also hopeful that more can be done to improve her small intestine, bar any more infections or setbacks. However, most of the above won’t be covered by her insurance or social security.
The current estimate for what she’d have to pay out of pocket is over $500,000.
The insurance will pay to put Diane in a nursing home, but refuses to pay for at-home health care, prosthetics, or the necessary procedures. The worst case would be Diane being placed in a nursing home at 35 years old, where she could only get visitation from her boys and husband after school and work, but would no longer be able to live with them. The family has yet to hear back from Medicaid, but we’re hoping that Diane will be accepted so that she and her sons can have some insurance if she were no longer to have insurance from her job due to her condition.
We are asking for donations to this GoFundMe page to help pay off her medical bills that the insurance won’t cover, and for the ability to receive any prosthetics or at-home care she’s going to need moving forward.
Thank you for reading, and thank you in advance for anything you can give. Any little bit will help, even something as small as the price of a cup of coffee. Please share to spread the word even if you can’t help monetarily!
We thank God for His many blessings and that Diane is alive and can still hug her boys with her arms and talk to them. Through this whole ordeal her faith in God and multiple prayer group-support from Open Door Church, where she volunteers and where her boys to go to school and support has been a tremendous help. We thank everyone who has prayed and for the many churches across North Carolina, her family, and her friends that have gotten her this far.
All funds raised will be withdrawn in a special bank account on behalf of Diane and the family. Paula Loftin will work to oversee the withdrawals of the funds.
Organizer
Paula Loftin
Organizer
Ayden, NC
