Help Samuel and Tina Overcome Medical Hardships

Update: Sam is in respiratory icu and they are still trying to get him stable. 

Once stable he will need to be transferred to a pulmonary rehabilitation center for probably a month it looks like. 

He won’t be coming home any time soon but we pray it will happen at some point. 

My name is Tina Gallagher, and I am requesting any assistance for my husband, Samuel, and myself. Any amount would help, and so would sharing our story.

Sam was admitted to St. Joseph Hospital in Stockton for several issues. He went in for X-rays due to a fall and is staying due to lung issues, including respiratory failure. He was admitted to the ER on Saturday, moved to respiratory, and then moved again, this time to the ICU, as his oxygen levels are just staying too low. There is talk of intubation, but luckily, they have not had to do that yet. No word yet on when he is coming home.

Sam's background: Sam was diagnosed 12 years ago with Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy. His muscles have gone downhill over this time, including his diaphragm. As his diaphragm muscles have weakened, he cannot push the CO2 out of his lungs, making it very hard for him to take in oxygen. He was hospitalized in February for respiratory failure and sent home on oxygen. The home oxygen is not enough now, and he cannot go home until stable.

Please note, yes, we do have insurance, and I do have sick pay that I am pacing out. However, these medical emergencies have put us behind to the point where I am having to choose between my rent and my vehicle that we just modified for Sam's wheelchair trailer. We recently paid $900+ copay for his chair along with the trailer and installation. Between this and the thousand-dollar vet bill for the passing of my ESA, Ferris, we are tapped out. I hate asking for a handout, but I literally had to take a part of my rent money to keep them from repoing my vehicle. It is all too much, and we obviously desperately need both home and transportation.

Back story: It took A LOT to get where we are. After Sam's diagnosis in 2012, we lost our home and were homeless and on the road for quite some time. During the last five years, we have pulled ourselves back up, and I work from home at a wonderful job. It was literally going from a tent to a working wage, and unfortunately, we have been just barely getting by this whole time (we moved to California for my job, which pays well but is counteracted by the insane cost of living).

We picked ourselves up and can do it again but really do need the help. If you can help just a bit or share, it would be so appreciated. All funds will go to rent, car payment, gas to and from the hospital, etc. It will also just give us a little breathing room in case I need to go on Family Medical Leave, where there would be a gap of several weeks between my sick pay and leave.

Thank you so much for any support. We will also be relaunching Sam's book of poetry, As the Ice Laughed, shortly. It will be available for purchase on several platforms. Stories of love, heartache, and your body laughing at you as it kicks you while you are down.

Peace and love to you all.