Help Holly Dunn return to work!

In 2022 and 2023, you were part of a special group of people who contributed more than $54,000 here on GoFundMe to support Bill and Holly Dunn, who urgently needed financial assistance as they battled Holly’s long COVID. Bill and Holly deeply appreciated your gifts and have used them frugally.

These contributions have literally kept them afloat as they worked to restore Holly's health.

This precious couple has remained positive and optimistic, despite Holly's severe long-Covid challenges, coupled with the need a hysterectomy. She's been bedridden much of the time since the onset of her illness in 2020.

But now, Holly has recovered to the point of looking to the future. She'd like to practice medicine again! We need to help her do that. Would you consider another gift to make that possible?

Holly's medical licenses and certifications are not current. They expired during the four years she was not practicing. There are substantial fees and expenses to reinstate them (not to mention the considerable effort Holly will have to invest to re-qualify).

Thank you for considering a gift to support Holly and Bill during this extremely difficult time. And thank you for your continuing prayers for these special people.

Steve Grissom

Campaign Organizer

NOTE: Through the end of 2023, a total of $54,612 was raised to help fund basic living expenses for Bill and Holly. Those gifts are included on the campaign total on this page.

Our progress in raising the additional $15,000 to help Holly get her medical certifications will be reflected in how close we get to the $72,000 campaign goal.

You can help Bill and Holly by making a gift on this GoFundMe page. The money goes directly to them. No one else has access.

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For your reference, we've reproduced the original GoFundMe appeal from 2022 below:

 

My name is Steve Grissom, a friend of Bill and Holly Dunn. I'm asking you to consider donating to help pay living expenses for Bill and Holly. Their story is heartbreaking. They've cared for so many people over the years, and now they need our help.

 

Holly contracted COVID in August of 2020 while serving as a doctor in the Emergency Department of an Alabama hospital. Her infection came early in the pandemic, before we had vaccines and other medicines.

 

Sadly, after treating so many other people, her case evolved into "long COVID."

 

For months, Holly could not even get out of bed and could barely function. At one point, her kidneys failed and she had to be placed on emergency dialysis. Bill was her caregiver. Slowly, Holly saw slight improvement, but she cannot work and has very limited physical stamina.

In December of 2020, they had the opportunity to enroll Holly in a program for COVID long-haul patients. That required Bill and Holly to relocate to Houston to receive care from the clinic that specializes in treating long-haul COVID patients.

 

Because Bill is caring for Holly, he can't work either, putting a huge strain on their finances. They sold their home in Alabama and have been living on the equity from that sale and their savings. That money is running out.

 

The treatment continues, and Holly is gaining ground in very small, incremental steps. There appears to be no near-term prospect for either Bill or Holly to be able to work and Holly will continue to need treatment for months to come, while Bill remains her primary caregiver. You can see a more comprehensive list of the symptoms and issues Holly is dealing with in the list below

 

To add to the load they are carrying, they learned that the storage facility in Alabama had a water leak. Many of their belongings were destroyed, damaged or infested with mold.

 

I've designed this fundraiser to anticipate Bill and Holly will need support for at least the next year. They've been living in a small apartment in Houston in a special, subsidized program for long-term patients. That subsidy has just ended, so they will have to relocate to a market-rate apartment near the clinic where Holly receives treatments. Rents in Houston are VERY expensive. We've estimated that they will need at least $80,000 for rent, living expenses and medical expenses over the next 12 months.

 

Again, let me stress that Bill and Holly are running out of personal funds. They've all but drained their life savings, home equity and personal bank accounts.

 

 If you love this couple as much as I do, or if they have ministered to you sometime in the past, I'm asking you to pray about generously supporting them in their time of need.

 

And, also– please spread the word about this need. Use the "share" button to post this fundraiser on social media, or send the information by email to your friends. Because Bill served as a pastor in several churches, you probably know someone who knows Bill and Holly as well.

 

MORE INFORMATION

 

The summary below was prepared by Holly's daughter Jess as a briefing of Holly's broad range of symptoms for doctors treating Holly.

 

Holly Dunn M.D.,F.A.C.

 

PRE COVID:

• Attending ER MD and Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Alabama’s

largest university Medical Hospital

• Used to working in hospitals on feet 12+ hours/Day both day and night for past 30

plus years! (Up until August)

 

POST COVID: New Onset Debilitating SYMPTOMS

At REST: Maintains Supine position 20 hours each day for body to feel slightly improved.

However, these symptoms remain each day while “At Rest”:

COVID fog and other issues

• During normal conversation a switch clicks and the subject of conversation is suddenly gone and irretrievable

• Word smithing is harder than normal

• Short term recall present but is delayed

• Long term recall can be great one week. Other weeks there are days with “ loops of loss” no recall.

• Balance: High fall risk. Balance is unreliable and frequently not present.

• Body swelling is extreme with pitting edema to extremities. Lasix is helping but as you can see- the problem remains

• Feet constantly sore. Legs feel like 80 pounds each

• Flaky peeling skin

• Weight gain- rapid, uncontrolled, as much as 20 pounds in 1 week

• Onset insulin-dependent diabetes

• Hip pain