Fundraiser For Emily Branam- Medical

My wife, Emily, has Medullary Sponge Kidney Disease. She passes multiple kidney stones and suffers from many urinary tract/kidney infections and has recently taken a turn for the worst. On May 1st she became septic due to a multi antibiotic resistant strain of ecoli in her kidneys and so far she has spent 23 days in the hospital. The doctors have tried many antibiotics trying to clear the infection to no avail. It is slowly causing her kidney function levels to fall. They put a groshong port in a few weeks ago because she no longer has peripheal IV access due to already having multiple IV's for the antibiotics they have tried. The Groshong has caused her lungs to collapse twice, so she is now having to see a pulmonologist because of the carbon dioxide levels building in her body. She lost her job from being so sick and I had to take FMLA to tend to her and our 2 little boys ages 2 and 4 because we do not have a support group to help us with them or to help us financially. Home health has denied us help because she is not "bedridden." When Emily is between hospital stays, I am theone who has to start her IV antibiotic treatments throughout the day and night. I have to help her with bathing, because she cant get the port wet. She isnt allowed to drive, so I am responsible for getting her to and from all appts. Recently the doctors here have told us they have exhausted all of their options and believe her only hope is going to Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tn. Due to currently having no income, this is almost impossible. Our electric has been cut off twice because of non-payment and we finally got some help to pay the past due balance on that to have it reconnected bt we dont know how we are going to be able to pay the upcoming bill due June 15th. Our phones were cut off 2 days ago for non paymet as well and we are already a month behind in rent. The cabinets are becoming bare, we are behind on a car payment now, and we still have to come up with travel expenses to get her to Vanderbilt in hopes that they can help us. We dont know what else to do except to reach out to others to ask for help. My wife is only 25 years old. She will be 26 in about 2 weeks. We have these 2 little boys and a whole life ahead of us and things dont look as if they will be very good if we cant find a way to get her well. It is already hard for her to do as much with the boys as she used to do and its breaking her heart. She isnt allowed to pick them up, or play with them the way she used to. ot just because oof the port and not getting the catheter caught on things, but also from the pain she is dealing with. And the stress of losing our car and our home in the middle of all this isnt helping matters. A friend told us about this website and I wanted to give it a try. I am willing to try anything for my family. I have done everything I know to do. We need may prayers. I had to take FMLA because we dont have anyone to help us with our kids and of all the time she has spent in the hospital already, I have been the only one there is to care for them. But it has put us in a financial rut and the medical bills that are now coming in are digging that rut even deeper. We are asking for help to pay some of these bills and to have enough money to get my wife to Vanderbilt so we can get her better. Vanderbilt is the best choice she has. Thank you in advance for any help and prayers!



-Rickey Branam