Organized by Toni Roberts, friend and neighbor to Maxine Arnold

My friend and neighbor Maxine Arnold will be 89 in July and is a major survivor. But she fell last week at home, went to the ER, they said her leg was fine, but she had a respiratory infection. Gave her prescriptions to fill and sent her home. Fast forward 5am the next morning when she got up for a bathroom run and fell again. This time she could not get up and remained calling for help for hours until someone came to visit and could hear her. Major drama getting into the apartment and by the time I got there [I saw the ambulance from my balcony], the house was filled with the landlady, workmen who had the ladder to get in a window, police in full riot gear, rifles, bullet proof vests and all, and a few neighbors who were concerned, plus the EMTs who were trying to figure out how to navigate the small apartment and steps without causing her more pain. [She periodically let out a scream.] Roma, her 18-year-old poodle, was leashed to the leg of a coffee table looking scared and very confused.

So long story short, she was brought to the Gringo hospital, [La Joya], had her fractured femur nailed back together [her description not mine], and spent a few nights there recovering. Roma came home with me, Aunt Toni, and cried and wailed for 2 days until she adjusted. [OK, I confess, I gave her people food. I'm not proud.]

Then came the part about having to pay the bill before you leave the hospital and the credit card she had on her didn't cover it all and they were not going to let her leave. Easy to do seeing as she couldn't walk. [Would have been funny to see an old lady with a cane making a run for it with hospital gown flapping.] But if you know Maxine and her ability to negotiate she convinced them to let her, go home in a Red Cross ambulance and she would give them 'other' credit cards. And so, they did, and she did and 3 women from the hospital accompanied the ambulance and waited with their clip boards, file folders, and handheld credit card thingy while she was carried back in [with periodic screams] and settled in her bed etc., etc.

So now here is the thing. Maxine and Roma live on Social Security with a little help from some money she had saved which is almost gone. [Guess she didn't expect to live this long.] And also using the credit cards which she could pay down with a minimal payment each month. So, the credit cards are now all maxed out and the savings are now a pittance. She would like to be able to salvage at least one of the credit cards for future emergencies and has no family left to help her out. She is going to need home care for a while and some Physical Therapy. Also, oxygen.

So, anything you could contribute to help would be greatly appreciated by an ornery old lady and her now very spoiled and chubby poodle.

Thank you,

Aunt Toni Roberts