Andrew Even's Medical Bills

Many of you know my brother, Andrew Even. He and his lovely wife, Grace, and their son, Jeremiah, live in Burlington, Iowa. Andrew is a self-employed painting contractor and Grace works with at-risk students at West Burlington High School. Andrew is a talented musician, an avid Cubs fan, and an all-around good guy.

Andrew started having balance and mobility issues earlier this year, and by his 50th birthday in April, he was walking with a cane. After months of various tests and scans, they discovered a tumor on his spinal cord. He was referred to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) and upon his first visit there, he was admitted for surgery. On June 2nd, he underwent a risky eight-hour surgery to remove the tumor. It involved carving out some of his spine and securing four vertebrae with hardware. Tears of joy were shed when Andrew came through surgery and was able to wiggle his toes. (Paralysis was a major concern.) He remained at UIHC for a week and was then moved to a rehabilitation facility in Burlington. Andrew is grateful to now be home, but he has a long road ahead of him. His spinal cord was damaged by the tumor so he continues to experience mobility and strength issues - he uses a walker and attends intense physical therapy two times a week. The spinal cord cannot heal itself, but it can slowly "rewire", and that is what Andrew is working at every day.

Substantial medical bills are beginning to arrive. Andrew and Grace are fortunate to have solid health insurance, but they will be responsible for $7,000 out-of-pocket. And as a self-employed contractor, if Andrew can't paint, he can't make money. Without his normal income these last few months, just making ends meet has been difficult.

I'm hoping we can lessen their financial burden so they can concentrate on Andrew's recovery. This GoFundMe is set up so all donations go directly to Andrew's bank account.

Thank you for your generosity!

Jody Decker-Terrill

(One of Andrew's top six favorite siblings :)