Ben & Karen Need Our Help!
Donation protected
Ben and Karen are my neighbors, and they could really use some kindness after a very difficult few weeks! Karen is an incredible asset to Home Again Assisted Living in Columbus, working as their Life Enrichment Coordinator. Let’s show her and Ben some love!
What happened: Ben and Karen were anxiously awaiting their first ultrasound on Karen’s birthday (July 5th), but instead of getting the happy news they expected, they were told there was no heartbeat.
The next day, they left for Boston, where they were surrounded by Karen’s loving college friends They had a good few days in Boston, but then Ben got COVID. They cut their trip short and came home. Then Karen got COVID and her body caught up with her and started miscarrying. It got to be too much and Ben took her to the ER, where they sent her on a med flight to Madison to be seen by the St Mary’s OBGYN team. She also received a blood transfusion on the way - thank you, blood donors!
Instead of getting the expected surgery, Karen was sent home with a pain med regimen. Over the next 5 days, they expected things to get better, and Karen’s pain lessened, but she couldn’t seem to stay awake for long stretches of time. She attributed it to the COVID and everything her body went through. She went back in for a final ultrasound and it turned out that she was still holding a LOT of blood clots inside of her. They ordered surgery ASAP, and in the process found out that her hemoglobin was REALLY low (like almost half the minimum normal amount it should be). The surgery took longer than anticipated and she had to get ANOTHER blood transfusion.
Because she has COVID, Karen has been out of work for a while. She doesn’t qualify for PTO or short term disability yet, but they graciously gave her 20 hours of PTO and 8 for bereavement. Though this was generous, it won’t begin to cover the amount they will have to cover for the bills, and they are already stretched thin. They haven’t seen all of the bills yet, but it looks like it will be in the tens of thousands.
On top of all the physical trauma on her body, they are still processing all of this emotionally. They were so looking forward to welcoming their little one, and now they are grieving the loss of someone they never got to meet.
Ben and Karen do want to try to get pregnant again in the future, but it’s hard to even comprehend with everything going on. This experience was a terrifying rollercoaster that has left them with sudden and excessive debt. Please donate or share this fundraiser to help ease their worries and stress!
Thank you for your time. Rest In Peace, Taylor Altensey.
What happened: Ben and Karen were anxiously awaiting their first ultrasound on Karen’s birthday (July 5th), but instead of getting the happy news they expected, they were told there was no heartbeat.
The next day, they left for Boston, where they were surrounded by Karen’s loving college friends They had a good few days in Boston, but then Ben got COVID. They cut their trip short and came home. Then Karen got COVID and her body caught up with her and started miscarrying. It got to be too much and Ben took her to the ER, where they sent her on a med flight to Madison to be seen by the St Mary’s OBGYN team. She also received a blood transfusion on the way - thank you, blood donors!
Instead of getting the expected surgery, Karen was sent home with a pain med regimen. Over the next 5 days, they expected things to get better, and Karen’s pain lessened, but she couldn’t seem to stay awake for long stretches of time. She attributed it to the COVID and everything her body went through. She went back in for a final ultrasound and it turned out that she was still holding a LOT of blood clots inside of her. They ordered surgery ASAP, and in the process found out that her hemoglobin was REALLY low (like almost half the minimum normal amount it should be). The surgery took longer than anticipated and she had to get ANOTHER blood transfusion.
Because she has COVID, Karen has been out of work for a while. She doesn’t qualify for PTO or short term disability yet, but they graciously gave her 20 hours of PTO and 8 for bereavement. Though this was generous, it won’t begin to cover the amount they will have to cover for the bills, and they are already stretched thin. They haven’t seen all of the bills yet, but it looks like it will be in the tens of thousands.
On top of all the physical trauma on her body, they are still processing all of this emotionally. They were so looking forward to welcoming their little one, and now they are grieving the loss of someone they never got to meet.
Ben and Karen do want to try to get pregnant again in the future, but it’s hard to even comprehend with everything going on. This experience was a terrifying rollercoaster that has left them with sudden and excessive debt. Please donate or share this fundraiser to help ease their worries and stress!
Thank you for your time. Rest In Peace, Taylor Altensey.
Organizer and beneficiary
Kate Bender
Organizer
Columbus, WI
Karen Wheelock
Beneficiary