Aid Erik and Amy in Their Time of Need

Hey everyone! We are the Lotters (Erik and Amy) from New Jersey. We first met in January of 2020 and fell madly in love. We knew we were soulmates and quickly married in September of 2020. At this time, we both had full-time jobs and savings. We were renting an apartment while looking to buy a house.

Before getting married, Amy had to use her short-term disability for emergency infected gallbladder surgery. A few months later, Amy suddenly began to fall very ill. After a hospital admission, she was diagnosed with pericarditis and pericardial effusion from Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and adult Coxsackie. She was hospitalized many times and had to be placed on a PICC line to get medication at home and had to see infectious disease specialists twice a week and cardiology. We also had to fly to Cleveland Clinic during COVID to see a specialist. Amy was on a lot of costly medications and could not work, draining our savings. Eventually, Amy was able to return to work, well after a year, but using up all her long-term disability.

After slowly getting back into work, Amy struggled with mental health issues and was put on medication that caused her to pass out while heading to the bathroom in the middle of the night. The fall caused her to tear her ACL in her left knee and suffer four fractures and ligament tears to her left foot. She had to have surgery on the foot right away so that her midfoot did not collapse. Unfortunately, she did not have any disability time left. Soon after returning to desk duty part-time, she had an exploratory laparotomy due to stomach issues for over a year. They found her appendix to be stuck upside down to her cecum with scar tissue and inflamed, therefore it had to be removed, causing her to miss more unpaid work.

Just two months later, Erik and Amy experienced the worst night of their lives. Amy suffered a seizure at home and Erik had to call 911. At the local hospital, Amy suffered a 22-minute seizure and had to be intubated and life-flighted to a bigger hospital that specialized in brain and spine. After many tests and over a week stay, Amy was diagnosed with PNES (Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures) and FND (Functional Neurologic Disorder). She suffers from seizures (mostly daily), syncope episodes, mobility issues, speech issues, sensory issues, severe anxiety/depression/PTSD. To complicate things, every seizure causes a flare to her chronic pain from her neck being fused after she was hit by a DUI driver. She tried to return to work part-time desk duty but ultimately had to quit due to her symptoms and absences. She also is unable to drive.

In the meantime, Erik lost his job (and our health insurance) due to missing too much work to care for Amy and take her to her many appointments. Luckily, he was able to find a new job, but with less pay, no FMLA, and horrible health insurance.

To help things, Amy sold her car that she cannot drive anyway. Family kicked in to help pay bills. We cut back on all other expenses. Amy even cut back on medications she needs but cannot afford, such as Botox for migraines, new expensive meds for her erosive esophagitis, and spreads her nasal ketamine for severe depression out to every two weeks instead of weekly.

Erik, who struggles from ADHD, ASD, and anxiety, works hard every day to work full-time to pay bills and maintain health insurance. When at work, he checks in on Amy on each break and answers her every phone call even if it will get him in trouble, for fear that she is seizing and he has to calm her down. When he is not at work, he is taking care of Amy in many ways: her health issues, bathing, feeding, household chores, etc. Luckily, he has family help for her many doctor appointments.

Unfortunately, no matter how hard Erik works, it is just not enough and this is hard on him, which affects both Erik and Amy. We never dreamed life would be like this and we would be asking for monetary help, but we are struggling with medical bills, rent, electric, cell phones/internet, Erik's car payment, groceries, all the necessities.

We understand if you cannot donate anything but we ask for your thoughts and prayers.

Thanks for taking the time to read!

Erik and Amy Lotter.