David & Melinda Gill Family Medical Emergency

9/12/2020 EDIT/UPDATE: On October 31st, just 3 weeks after we started this campaign due to David’s health crisis, Melinda had a freak accident that destroyed her wrist joint. Over the past 9 months, it’s now September12, 2020, Melinda has had five major surgeries to herwrist/hand, 4 nerve blocks in her neck, and over 150 occupational therapy sessions ... all while David continues his recovery from pulmonary embolisms. (His initial story is below.) Since May 2020, Aetna has continued to deny paying for occupational therapy  it is costing $1,000 A MONTH... since May!! Aetna is denying coverage as the “company plan clearly states 60 visits per calendar year... no exceptions.” They will and have been paying for tens of thousands of dollars in surgery and other related procedures, but won’t pay for the medically necessary occupational therapy. It is absurd, and exhausting, and financially stressful. As OT doesn’t work like a regular medical office; the fee must be paid day of service. There is not an option to payas they go, and because the Gill’s are a credit card free family that is not an option either.  We are continuing this GFM to hopefully hit the overall goal of $20,000, and help this family who has been finically decimated by a year of back to back medical catastrophic events.  Should you wish to mail a gift instead you can mail to: 1052 Linden Street, Clermont, FL 34711  

Thank YOU for being such a blessing. Your generosity and your prayers are appreciated.  

—- MR 


On October 4th, my friend Melinda Gill's husband was rushed to the ER, simply because he was having a difficult time breathing, and was not feeling well.  Little did anyone know that David's life was hanging by a thread.  What came next was a shock to David and his wife Melinda. David was nearing death as he suffered with a 90% blocked pulmonary artery, an enlarged heart, pneumonia, and leg clots! The ER doctors made it clear, he is 1/33 to survive this type of heart and lung injury; and if they hadn’t found it that day he would have died by the next. David is the sole provider for his family, and they have a 12 year old daughter. Melinda, David, and Kylee are very involved in their community of Clermont, Florida. Melinda is owner of Cradle to College, which has been giving back to Central Florida families for ten years; and business is now on hold long term. More on David’s int ISL hospitalization (and updates) are below. Since the date this campaign was originally set up, Melinda has suffered a traumatic injury and has had two surgeries back-to-back! Even Kylee now has an orthopedic injury of her own. Y’all, this precious family is struggling. Physically. Emotionally. Spiritually. Financially. They are exhausted. Please consider giving back to a family that does so much giving for their community. — Meredith Rosser


—- From Melinda ——

This past Friday (10/4) we had a major medical crisis with David; one we are still in. One that will be a long-term medical and financial nightmare. One where I am NOT leaving my husbands side, and advocating for him more than I ever have for anyone. If you know me and my stories of advocacy these past four years, you know I am serious about you quality of care. The care of my husband is no exception, in fact it’s heightened like never before. I in fact believe that God has equipped me for such a time as this.

After a few weeks of a dry cough (we thought were allergies) last Tuesday (10/1) he became very short of breath, to the point he asked me to call the doctor because it was making it hard to do his job. Tuesday evening he had a STAT chest X-ray; but we didn’t get results until Thursday afternoon. It showed pneumonia with a “possible intrusion,” and the doctor ordered a STAT Chest CT. Friday morning at 8am he had the CT, and by 10am they were rushing us to the ER.... He is suffering from bilateral pulmonary embolisms (one large one in each branch of the pulmonary artery), micro embolisms floating in both lungs, bilateral pneumonia, enlarged heart on right side, DVT in right femoral vein, SVT in SFJ and great saphenous vein. He is very sick with a life-threatening condition; a condition of which (to date) 9 doctors have said things like... “You should have died. Most don’t survive this. 33% die from this. You would not have lived another day.” One doctor, in ER, said “If you know God, say thank you. If you don’t know God, say thank you.”


It’s been one week since that first Doctors appointment, and our whole life has been turned upside down. Today, 10/9, is Day 6 of blood thinners, two antibiotics, pain medication, breathing treatments, steroids, and anxiety medications, because “no one can go through all of this without becoming anxious and afraid.”



Let's talk about FEAR. Last Friday I dropped my husband off for what I thought would be a routine test to confirm pneumonia; so routine I walked two blocks away to have my annual mammogram done nearby. Two hours later he called me saying, “Something is wrong! They won’t let me leave!” I literally ran two blocks to get to him, I heard the words “possible pulmonary embolism, get him to the ER NOW!” My single next memory is the nurses getting him out of the car at the ER. I don’t remember leaving the radiology center, getting us in the car, or driving two blocks. My next memory? A team of medical professionals over my husband hooking him to a ton of machines, a cardiologist who was so concerned he stayed to observe the ECHO, and a doctor making plans to fly him to a Level 1 Trauma Center “If stats don’t level out soon.” <br /><br />His stats did level out, and it didn’t appear he was a candidate for a interventional cardiologist “risky” clot buster procedure (called EKOS), he was admitted for medicated treatment.



Since Friday he has had round-the-clock antibiotics, blood thinners, and pain medication. One physician has been pushing to discharge him for days, I have been fighting as his wife and advocate for more time and more care and more information. Three days into this journey,  a pulmonologist joined his care team, and made it very clear “no way he is ready for discharge!” Now even more consults are being conducted. The in-hospital process could be days longer.... the at home, well that’s a whole other F-word.



Let's talk about the FUTURE.



Once we do get home his recovery is 6-12months minimum! We had a consult with a physician who is an expert in PE; and a recovering PE patient.



“Pulmonary Hypertension” is 30+. David’s is 70! The size of the embolisms in both branches of his pulmonary artery are “huge, and could take months to clear,” as is the DVT in his femoral vein. He will be on blood thinners for 9-12 months, and that one medication alone (with prescription coupons) will be over $400 per month! The blood thinners stop the clots from growing, and new ones from being formed. It does not dissolve the clots; the body has to re-absorb them over time.... and he remains “at risk” until they are all gone. This is long and often times a frustrating recovery process. Shortness of breath can continue consistently or intermittently for weeks or months; same with stabbing back pain. When home he will be strict regiment of rest and recovery, including limited amount of talking - as talking makes him symptomatic. He’ll be on oxygen for 1-3 months, including a mobile unit. Symptoms can come at any time, bringing forth anxiety and lessons in patience of mind and body as it heals from both the illness and the associated emotional trauma. David is a fixer and tinkering all the time! He will not able to be in his shop or the yard, or doing MUCH of what he loves for 6-12 months! He won’t be able to mow the yard or landscape, or even consider the “re-landscape the entire back yard, and fix the fence, and build Kylee a reading spot” fall project we have had our eyes on for a year; as we waited for the weather to cool off. He cannot fly for at least 12 months, and as many of you may know his father is in end of life stage - in Oklahoma. When that time comes  I will drive us, over a course of two days there and two days back, and “know where all hospitals are on the route.” He will have appointments with our PCP and 3 specialists every 3-6 weeks for a year.



The last big scary F-word? FINANCES.



David will be out of work for a while, maybe months. He is the provider for our family, and albeit I own a small business - all business is on hold while I am my husbands full-time caregiver. Having been at his job for 21 years, we are hopeful they can arrange a modified position; one in which he doesn’t have to “talk” 8 hours a day. He can't talk more than FOUR minutes at a time, without being completely short of breath! FOUR MINUTES! He only has 4 days of time, and he could be out of work for several weeks. The financial impact on our family is already being felt. We have a large deductible due now, and another to be made in just 3 months when the new year begins. Knowing that his care, follow up, medications, and long-term recovery will take 12 months, the burden of paying our living expenses, let alone two large annual deductibles, and his life-saving medications, is already daunting. We also have to take into consideration the caregiving expenses of our daughter. Kylee is only 12. We currently have a youth leader from our church caring for her, and we need to ensure that she is compensated for her evening to overnight to school drop off hours.... she’s already been caring for our daughter in such way for 6 days; with no end in sight. She also has tutoring twice a week, and with David being out of work that is another challenging thing to consider how to pay for at this time.



Okay, so the final F-word in this crisis is the biggest one of all. FAITH.



I have no words to describe my immense gratitude to God for saving my husband of 17 years. (My boyfriend of 22!) We have had NINE DOCTORS repeatedly say that “people don’t survive this....” and many say “there’s a certain amount of Blessing involved in surviving something like this....” From the medical team caring for him (and me), to our family and friends who have visited, to those taking care of our daughter, our home, our salt tank and our two crazy dogs, we are beyond thankful. Our church family, and our faith filled family and friends, that is what is carrying us through these dark days. There has been a tremendous amount of fear, and that isn’t going to be over for a very long time, but one thing we know for sure it is wrapped tightly in FAITH.



Thank YOU for taking the time to read our story, for any gift of assistance you may be able to offer, and mostly for the prayers I can feel covering us with a peace which passes all understanding.



Love,

Melinda Gill and family