Brianna Bernhardt - Nelson's Medical Expenses
Donation protected
Please visit Brianna's CaringBridge Site for updates and to share your well wishes they will be read to Brianna on a daily basis.
Brianna Nelson Bernhardt
Welcome, and thank you for taking the time to follow Brianna's journey. Brianna and Cameron have been together for 3 years. They were wed on June 26 of 2020. The following November Cameron received the best birthday gift of his life. Brianna was pregnant with their first child.
This pregnancy has not been without its challenges. What started out as normal morning sickness turned into something more sinister at the start of her 2nd trimester. She has been in and out of the hospital with neurological complications for over a month. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster to say the least.
After complications with the lumbar puncture in Havre, she was airlifted to Great Falls to have a blood patch performed. This was to stop the unimaginable pain caused by leaking spinal fluid. After a short period of relief at home the headaches began to worsen, and her nausea returned with a vengeance. Unable to eat or find relief from the constant headaches. Brianna was losing weight at an alarming pace.
The decision was made to airlifted her to Billings for a more thorough optometric and neurological workup. The working diagnosis in Billings was Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH) and Papilledema. It was determined that these conditions can’t be treated in Montana. Brianna was airlifted to Salt Lake City where doctors are currently exploring treatment options including optic nerve decompression to preserve her eyesight and shunt placement to reduce CSF pressure.
Brianna and Cameron have received so many offers of support and kind words of encouragement. Your further support on this page will help greatly. All of your thoughts and messages have helped to keep their spirits up and to stay positive. A big thank you goes out to Brianna's boss for putting together a sick time donation fund at her work. Because of Steven, Brianna has received the maximum allowed donation of sick leave.
I realize this is a very inconvenient time to ask for help. At this time it's unclear what the financial burden will be. They have their 1 year anniversary/wedding party coming up. Parents have helped with planning and financial backing. This has been scheduled for a year. The wedding was canceled last year due to Covid and they were married by the justice of the peace. The celebration has been paid for and is non-refundable, if they cancelled, they would not receive their money back. They wanted to be very up front about this because they need help with medical bills not the wedding.
The additional expense of Brianna needing three airlift flights along with 11 days in hospitals, so far, is unexpected. Unfortunately they have also encountered some unexpected and costly plumbing and radon mitigation repairs to their house. Not to mention a baby on the way.
A significant amount of time and thought went into the decision of asking for your help. Discussions went back and forth, we yelled, we cried, we lost sleep, friends and family and finally humbled ourselves into asking the community to help them get back on their feet.
Donations are not expected but will be greatly appreciated and will EXCLUSIVELY be used for medical expenses and costs associated with the hospital stays that insurance does not reimburse.
Brianna Nelson Bernhardt
Welcome, and thank you for taking the time to follow Brianna's journey. Brianna and Cameron have been together for 3 years. They were wed on June 26 of 2020. The following November Cameron received the best birthday gift of his life. Brianna was pregnant with their first child.
This pregnancy has not been without its challenges. What started out as normal morning sickness turned into something more sinister at the start of her 2nd trimester. She has been in and out of the hospital with neurological complications for over a month. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster to say the least.
After complications with the lumbar puncture in Havre, she was airlifted to Great Falls to have a blood patch performed. This was to stop the unimaginable pain caused by leaking spinal fluid. After a short period of relief at home the headaches began to worsen, and her nausea returned with a vengeance. Unable to eat or find relief from the constant headaches. Brianna was losing weight at an alarming pace.
The decision was made to airlifted her to Billings for a more thorough optometric and neurological workup. The working diagnosis in Billings was Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH) and Papilledema. It was determined that these conditions can’t be treated in Montana. Brianna was airlifted to Salt Lake City where doctors are currently exploring treatment options including optic nerve decompression to preserve her eyesight and shunt placement to reduce CSF pressure.
Brianna and Cameron have received so many offers of support and kind words of encouragement. Your further support on this page will help greatly. All of your thoughts and messages have helped to keep their spirits up and to stay positive. A big thank you goes out to Brianna's boss for putting together a sick time donation fund at her work. Because of Steven, Brianna has received the maximum allowed donation of sick leave.
I realize this is a very inconvenient time to ask for help. At this time it's unclear what the financial burden will be. They have their 1 year anniversary/wedding party coming up. Parents have helped with planning and financial backing. This has been scheduled for a year. The wedding was canceled last year due to Covid and they were married by the justice of the peace. The celebration has been paid for and is non-refundable, if they cancelled, they would not receive their money back. They wanted to be very up front about this because they need help with medical bills not the wedding.
The additional expense of Brianna needing three airlift flights along with 11 days in hospitals, so far, is unexpected. Unfortunately they have also encountered some unexpected and costly plumbing and radon mitigation repairs to their house. Not to mention a baby on the way.
A significant amount of time and thought went into the decision of asking for your help. Discussions went back and forth, we yelled, we cried, we lost sleep, friends and family and finally humbled ourselves into asking the community to help them get back on their feet.
Donations are not expected but will be greatly appreciated and will EXCLUSIVELY be used for medical expenses and costs associated with the hospital stays that insurance does not reimburse.
Organizer and beneficiary
Bonnita Bernhardt
Organizer
Havre, MT
Brianna Bernhardt
Beneficiary
