My name is Rachael. In 2006 I was rear ended by a semi fast forward to 2017 and things progressed bad enough I was receiving my first back surgery that took me from spending nearly 5 years in a wheelchair to giving me my legs back to relearn how to walk again. Fast forward 2 years to spring of 2019 and I was finally able to walk over 2 miles at a time, I could finally work some again after spending over a decade and a half being disabled (of which government declared me disabled but to which they weren’t going to give me any social security payments because I had been a stay at home mom… which was fine until one day I would need some sort of assistance only to not have it), I was finally able to volunteer at our church, and lead a semi normal life until fall of 2019 when I would develop foot drop just the same as I had in 2017 only this time I needed a spinal fusion from L4 to sacrum, 2 discs replaced and suffered from several stress fractures (none of which showed up on imaging) and tons of bone spurs needing removed. That surgery corrected the foot drop but only to leave me mostly bed bound since.

The foot drop is back on my left side again but with a vengeance. My left leg is completely weak and I am no longer able to walk my 20ish feet I had been able to before. As much as I have tried to deny ever going back into a wheelchair ever again the spirit and heart this time are just far stronger than my own body is. I’ve just spent over four weeks in the hospital to which they say they need to try more conservative measures first before leaping into surgery a third time, also still conduct more testing to get a full grasp what all is going on. During this time the hospital was trying to get me placed into a hospital rehab setting only for me to be too weak and not able to handle 3+ hours a day therapy, so they tried to place me in a skilled nursing facility only to be told to no avail that no one accepts my health insurance because apparently nursing home facilities aren’t required to accept health insurance marketplace insurance and can chose to decline to (remember about how I said about not receiving any government help? No Medicare because I don’t draw social security and no Medicaid disability because my husband makes too much. The only reason I get marketplace health insurance is because it’s astronomical for my husband to add me onto his health insurance, so no one can make SNF’s accept patients on marketplace insurance and no one can keep them in check like Medicare or MedicaidD). However they also didn’t fully deny me either as I could just pay all out of pocket (who can afford nearly $500/day average?) So the hospital packed me up and sent me away though I told them my home was not safe for me to return to, as well PT and OT advised the same, they still sent me home anyway. So the makeshift ramp (an 8ft piece of plywood my husband put down in an emergency to get me to ER) we were going to have to use to get me back up onto the porch only to my biggest fear and saying it was UNSAFE my wheelchair fell over with me in it and sent me rolling back. EMS had to be called out to lift me off the ground cus neither leg would work and hips gave out, and they whisked me back away to ER once more. This time though when they sent me back home (yesterday 1/4/23) they at least were nice enough to send me home by EMS on the gurney so I could get in the porch!

So now I’m home and completely housebound and unable to leave the house as I have no safe way back up until we are able to get a wheelchair ramp built! I am unable to leave to go to any follow up appointments to start trying to find out the full severity of it all as well as fix what’s wrong with me, to receive any more medical care, to receive any outpatient Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy, etc.

Through everything we have always been pretty self sufficient and never ask for help, honestly much too often because of being disappointed when we have really needed help to not receive it but have always been the first to give our time or money when anyone has been in need.

I wasn’t really even sure what to even write here. If you can donate any little bit I can assure you any and all help is greatly appreciated, if you know us and can help physically help whether building a ramp or seeing if we need any help with errands that is much appreciated because right now we only have the help of a few to build, if you can do neither please just share and help us network!! That is also greatly appreciated as well! Especially if you know anyone that is on a marketplace plan or may need Dissability in one form or another because one day they may find themselves in the very same boat and turbulent tides I’m currently finding myself drifting through. If anything just please pray because I know that God whom I serve is far greater than any troubles I may face! I pray one day again to be walking, even if that should not happen my faith still shall soar high!