Maddie Sommer's Health Expenses

Hi everyone! Since this fundraiser was created 2 years ago, Madison’s story has taken quite a few unexpected twists and turns. This update is being written by her wife, Michele. Here is the nutshell update of the last 2 years with a TL;DR at the end (new photo is from the day she was admitted to the hospital in June):

Madison started her PHP program as planned in December of 2021, but after about a month we were advised that she needed to be stepped up to a residential program for more support. In early January she started a residential program in St. Louis, and remained there until the beginning of May 2022. When she came home in May, the plan was for her to return to her PHP program and then transition back to work. After about 2 weeks back at PHP however, it became clear that she was not really ready to step down, and she came home while we searched for a new residential program that she could go to.

At the end of June, she started a residential program in Ohio, but due to extreme nausea that we later learned was a side effect from a medication, she was not doing well so after 6 weeks she was moved to an inpatient facility in North Carolina. Once there they took her off of the med causing the nausea and she finally started improving physically. This facility had an inpatient and residential program at the same location, so while there she was stepped back up to the residential level. Physically she regained her health, but mentally she was not doing well at all after so many months away from home and her family, so in mid-September of 2021 I brought her home.

While she was physically recovered, mentally Madison has struggled deeply with depression and anxiety, heightened by PTSD from her treatment experience. Her eating disorder struggles did not go away, so she battled those urges daily in addition to the emotional battles. She had intense social anxiety after being literally locked in isolation for nearly 9 months. With all of this combined, she was not able to return to her job before her FMLA leave expired, and unfortunately she was separated from her job in January of 2023. For context, her regular paychecks had stopped after June of 2022, since then due to the long term disability insurance we have paid into she has been receiving 60% of her salary. We are thankfully still receiving that at this time since that survives the employment status, however we are continually having to fill out paperwork proving she is still unable to work.

While receiving a portion of her previous income is a huge blessing, having it slashed by 40% has been a huge financial loss for us. We have thousands of dollars in extra bills from all of the extra healthcare that has been required through this time even though our insurance has picked up the vast majority of it. To be transparent, our grocery budget for a month is $100, and after all our bills are paid we are left with less than $200 for any unexpected expenses or extra bills.

This brings us up to the last month of our life. On June 22nd, 2023 Madison had what was medically classified as a massive saddle pulmonary embolism (in other words, a blood clot in her lung so huge that it blocked both arteries to her lungs). This caused her to go into cardiac arrest in our home. Thankfully I was able to call 911 immediately and they were able to restart her heart. Through the ordeal that followed, Madison’s heart stopped a total of 8 times that we are aware of, which resulted in a deficit of oxygen to her brain. This lack of oxygen caused a series of mini-strokes. They did not give us a count on how many, but the neurologist showed me the MRI and based on what she was pointing out I estimate it was about 7 or 8 of them. The result of the strokes was much less severe than it could have been thankfully, but she was left with a good deal of muscle weakness. After 8 days in the hospital, she had 2 weeks of intense inpatient rehabilitation. She is now home, and we will be doing several weeks of in-home therapy, before transitioning to outpatient therapy for however long she needs it to return to full strength. Also, please note, I am skipping a lot of the details on what she went through and a lot of other side effects to focus on the large ones here. Overall though, she is recovering very well for which we are so grateful.

In summary, we have at least a couple thousand more dollars in medical bills before we hit our out-of-pocket max that we now need to cover, and there were a lot of unexpected expenses during that month. I purchased a shower chair, there were some Grubhub meals to get food quickly and easily while we were in the hospital, other things as needed. I am filing some claims that should hopefully get me some money back, but I don’t know how long it will take for those to go through, and those will not cover everything.

TL;DR: We have a ton of extra bills due to Maddie’s income being reduced by 40%, her treatment bills, and all the medical expenses from her recent month-long hospital stay. Any help is appreciated at the GoFundMe or my venmo sommerlynnsunshine.

-Michele and Maddie

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Original Post:

My name is Maddie Sommer, and I am currently in need of intensive mental health services that are going to incur serious financial costs. My wife and I are currently unable to afford these expenses, so I am asking for donations to help with these expenses in order to move forward with the treatment plan that has been recommended for me.

The biggest part of the financial cost for me is a partial hospitalization program (PHP) with an eating disorder clinic that lasts a minimum of 8 weeks. I have been struggling with severe mental health problems for over 15 years, including anorexia, body dysmorphia, self-harm, depression, and anxiety. I've had many ups and downs over these years, and the worst period for my anorexia saw me with a BMI that put me well within extreme severity for anorexia nervosa. I have begun seeking help now after these problems have become severe again.

My current estimate for the PHP puts the out of pocket cost, after insurance, at over $20,000. This is the direct cost for the program itself, and doesn't include the $3,000 out of pocket max that my insurance will also require from me. With a new year approaching soon, I will have another $3,000 out of pocket maximum that I will need to pay as well. In addition to these direct costs, I would need to miss work and be out of town for the duration of the program. This will require living arrangements, which will be another significant cost. All together, I will likely need over $30,000 in order to participate in the program that I need to help stabilize my mental health.

I will be posting additional details as I have them, and any money raised will go toward costs associated with this mental health treatment program, including the program itself, necessary living costs, missed work, travel, etc. My current mental state is not sustainable and has my loved ones very worried. I hope to be able to take this step toward improving my mental health and getting to a state of mental stability.

You consideration, well wishes, and any donations are appreciated more than I can express. Thank you for any form of help you are able to provide.

-Maddie