Dorinda Troutman Fund

Friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, and community members, Dorinda needs your help! Life has thrown our Dorinda a curve ball. She suffered 3 small strokes on January 13th and a major stroke on January 19th (caused by newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation). This has left her paralyzed on the left side of her body. And Dorinda is left handed! Fortunately she has not lost her speech or courageous spirit.

So many people have asked how they can help. Here is your opportunity!

Medical Treatment and Expenses

Medical expenses are accumulating and her family and care providers have had to fight insurance to approve rehabilitation therapies every step of the way. Dorinda first received emergency care in Hamilton and was transferred twice to Missoula for emergent care. Treatment has included a cutting edge procedure to attempt removal of a large blood clot in her brain at Providence St. Patrick Hospital. Her progress has been hindered due to cerebral edema and the severity of her stroke-yet she is making progress every day with caregiver support and loving family at her bedside. She was hospitalized in Missoula at St. Pat’s for 14 days, then CMC inpatient rehab for 15 days and is now receiving therapies and nursing care at the Village Health and Rehab Center in Missoula.

People with stroke have the best recovery in the first 3-6 months with ongoing physical, occupational and speech therapy. With your support she will continue to receive rehab therapies, improve and be able to return home to her productive life as soon as possible. This will require funds for continued and much needed therapies, ramps, inside home modifications, personal care aides, medical expenses not covered by insurance and other items such as advanced voice to text software.

She's shared and taught us so much.....

Beloved mother, grandmother, partner, Montana resident for 40+ years, active community member, educator, prolific writer, and artist, she is an encyclopedia on a number of topics including dogs, birds, Icelandic chickens, gardening, and social justice issues (just to name a few). Dorinda is missed greatly by her large group of friends and family (including her dog, Jazz, and Icelandic chickens).  Dorinda’s involvement and impact in the community is astounding. Here is just a few of her current activities and contributions:

·   Writer of the column, Bird Seed, for the Bitterroot Star

·  Administrator and contributor to five Facebook Pages with thousands of members: “Icelandic Chickens (landnámshænan)”, “Hamilton Farmers Market Co-op”, “NW Farm Terriers”, Bird Seed by Dorinda Troutman”, “Bitur rót Icelandic Chickens- Bitterroot Valley”, and Sleeping Child Hot Springs for All”

·   Serves on the Hamilton Farmers Market Board Coop and promotes the Farmers Market Coop via a column in the Ravalli Republic every other week during market season

·   Designed the Bitterroot Humane Societies License plate (benefits thousands of dollars each year to the Humane Society)

·   Each winter, writes a grant from Humanities Montana to bring Salish cultural leader, Tony Incashola, Salish Cultural and Educational Leader, to Hamilton to tell Salish winter stories

Please donate to help cover these expenses and more:

The ramp to the back door will cost $2,000.

Medical expenses not covered by insurance for her hospitalizations, radiology imaging and procedures, ambulance transportation, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation will be at least $6,700.

Personal care aides are $15-20/hour for 2-4 hours a day (initially)

Voice to text technology: $129.00

Your contribution, big or small, makes a difference.

Thank you for all your love, thoughts, support and donations.

With warmest regards, the Troutman Family