Dwayne Johnson - massive stroke family needs help
Donation protected
Update 7/1/19:
I originally set up this gofundme while my husband, Dwayne, was in the hospital following his ischemic stroke and the help and prayers were amazing. I am updating this to once again ask for help through this challenging situation for my family.
Following Dwayne’s hospital stay he started outpatient therapy and improved both physically and cognitively. We stopped outpatient therapy because we just could not afford it since at the time of Dwayne’s stroke he was uninsured. Dwayne’s previous employer had layoffs several months prior to his stroke and while he was searching for another employer in the same field he was collecting unemployment benefits. Dwayne was offered an amazing job opportunity and the week before his stroke he was notified that all his pre-employment screening was complete and was set to begin work that very next week. That weekend however, he had a stroke and life for Dwayne and our family has been filled with both blessings but also major set-backs.
Dwayne has always worked so when he was laid off, I had no doubt he would find another job, so I foolishly elected to not add him to my commercial insurance policy within 30 days of him losing coverage and when I tried to add him once he had a stroke it was too late and request was denied. I appealed the decision through my employer, and the denial was upheld. I applied for state benefits, and we were granted a little help with food and my children were given insurance to use as secondary coverage but in order for an adult to receive state paid health insurance a family of 4 with both parents living at home we can make no more than 286 dollars per month. So I can either continue working hard 5 days a week to provide for my family and struggle with little or no assistance from the state at all, or I can quit my job and my entire family can have no cost healthcare, food paid for, cash given to us and all just do nothing. The system is clearly broken, but its not going to fix itself for us, so we are trying to find any other way to help pay for his medical treatment. We are barely getting by as it is and now due to additional medical treatment Dwayne needs there is no way we can do this without help and I have tried every avenue I can possibly think of and we are just denied because of my income, even though my income alone doesn’t even cover 100% of our bills, let alone private pay medical care.
Medical Treatment Needed
Dwayne’s stroke revealed both of his carotid arteries were badly blocked so we saw a specialist and had 2 MRIs and a CTA of his Carotid’s and the results showed his left carotid artery was 100% blocked and his right carotid is 75% blocked. The doctor explained that our brains have a circular area on top of the brain and even though his left carotid is 100% blocked the left side of his brain is still receiving blood flow through his right carotid artery. Once the carotid artery is 100% blocked it cannot be repaired or it’s just too risky to repair. The plan is to operate on his right carotid artery and either to put a stent or do a bypass and we are told should be able to completely clear the right carotid. We had a consult with a vascular surgeon today, 7/1/19, and was told even though Dwayne’s arteries had plaque (high cholesterol) and he was a smoker, this still shouldn’t have caused a stroke at his young age so the doctor stated he would like to rule a couple of things out prior to doing surgery. Dwayne needs a carotid angiogram next week, on Tuesday July 9th and in the next day or so I will get specific cost info but when googling angiogram of the neck, it was 16,200 dollars. I don’t even know what to think about that figure because it’s absolutely impossible so praying the hospital and doctors office will be able to provide some sort of reduced price or payment plan. Next we have to schedule with a hematologist to rule out certain types tumors that could have caused all of this.
Because Dwayne is private pay, each specialist visit runs 100-125 and each test varies in cost. He has had 2 MRIs at 500 each and a CTA at 850. He is also on a seizure medication because of a seizure he had after his stroke and the medication is just under 1000 (with goodrx) per month. Luckily, we have enough samples of the medication to last 6 more weeks before we have to try and figure out that cost. I will be able to add Dwayne to my insurance during open enrollment but it will not be effective until 1/1/2020 so if we are able to put off the stent or bypass until then we will be fine to pay for the procedure but this angiogram, hematologist, and whatever labs he has to do is the major priority so we can begin eliminating the issues and getting to a solution. I hate asking for help but I am just not sure what else to do at this point. Dwayne needs this medical care so he can watch his children grow up and so he is able to get back to work and feel like a regular person again. He hates being so limited and in need of treatment, he hates not being able to work. I hate that I can see he feels like a burden to us, but he is the farthest thing from it, we are not a family without him and regardless of how much begging and pleading I am having to swallow my pride to do, we don’t have a choice. I just want my children to have their daddy and I want my husband around to share all these moments with. It’s not fair things happen to such good people, I know its all a part of a bigger plan, but while going through it, sometimes its hard to see the good. I know we will get through this and its out of my control. We are trying to focus on our blessings and our sweet healthy babies and everything else will fall into place exactly how it’s meant to. Please consider helping my family in this time of need. Thanks!
Original 3/23/19:
My husband, Dwayne Johnson is 37 (his 38th bday is 3/29) and he is an amazing father, husband, brother, son, and uncle. People just gravitate to him because of what a people person he is and just over all a great person. He loves camping and taking his children on adventures to the boerne cibolo or down the walking trail. Dwayne was offered an amazing job opportunity that was in the workings and prior to him being able to start work ...on March 23, 2019 at around 8 am he had a massive stroke caused by 2 blood clots on his brain. Thanks to Boerne EMS they were at our house in lightening speed and rushed him to University hospital in San Antonio which undoubtedly saved his life. Because he was in between jobs he did not have health insurance and because I need to be by his side I am on medical leave from work which now takes our monthly income to just about 0. Not only do we need to pay for his medical bills but we also have bills that dont stop and we are so overwhelmed with what the near future holds for us. My kids don’t understand why their mommy and daddy isn’t at home and I feel so split because I cannot leave the love of my life’s side but I also miss my babies so much. We hate asking for help but with all the chaos I don’t want my children to have to lose their home or have to be burdened by this struggle. We KNOW God will heal and we KNOW God provides and we have complete faith we will get through this, we just need a little help doing so. If you can’t help financially, prayers are very much needed and appreciated.
We we love you all and I will keep this updated. It may be every few days as I am so overwhelmed but together with God we can do it. This too shall pass.
I originally set up this gofundme while my husband, Dwayne, was in the hospital following his ischemic stroke and the help and prayers were amazing. I am updating this to once again ask for help through this challenging situation for my family.
Following Dwayne’s hospital stay he started outpatient therapy and improved both physically and cognitively. We stopped outpatient therapy because we just could not afford it since at the time of Dwayne’s stroke he was uninsured. Dwayne’s previous employer had layoffs several months prior to his stroke and while he was searching for another employer in the same field he was collecting unemployment benefits. Dwayne was offered an amazing job opportunity and the week before his stroke he was notified that all his pre-employment screening was complete and was set to begin work that very next week. That weekend however, he had a stroke and life for Dwayne and our family has been filled with both blessings but also major set-backs.
Dwayne has always worked so when he was laid off, I had no doubt he would find another job, so I foolishly elected to not add him to my commercial insurance policy within 30 days of him losing coverage and when I tried to add him once he had a stroke it was too late and request was denied. I appealed the decision through my employer, and the denial was upheld. I applied for state benefits, and we were granted a little help with food and my children were given insurance to use as secondary coverage but in order for an adult to receive state paid health insurance a family of 4 with both parents living at home we can make no more than 286 dollars per month. So I can either continue working hard 5 days a week to provide for my family and struggle with little or no assistance from the state at all, or I can quit my job and my entire family can have no cost healthcare, food paid for, cash given to us and all just do nothing. The system is clearly broken, but its not going to fix itself for us, so we are trying to find any other way to help pay for his medical treatment. We are barely getting by as it is and now due to additional medical treatment Dwayne needs there is no way we can do this without help and I have tried every avenue I can possibly think of and we are just denied because of my income, even though my income alone doesn’t even cover 100% of our bills, let alone private pay medical care.
Medical Treatment Needed
Dwayne’s stroke revealed both of his carotid arteries were badly blocked so we saw a specialist and had 2 MRIs and a CTA of his Carotid’s and the results showed his left carotid artery was 100% blocked and his right carotid is 75% blocked. The doctor explained that our brains have a circular area on top of the brain and even though his left carotid is 100% blocked the left side of his brain is still receiving blood flow through his right carotid artery. Once the carotid artery is 100% blocked it cannot be repaired or it’s just too risky to repair. The plan is to operate on his right carotid artery and either to put a stent or do a bypass and we are told should be able to completely clear the right carotid. We had a consult with a vascular surgeon today, 7/1/19, and was told even though Dwayne’s arteries had plaque (high cholesterol) and he was a smoker, this still shouldn’t have caused a stroke at his young age so the doctor stated he would like to rule a couple of things out prior to doing surgery. Dwayne needs a carotid angiogram next week, on Tuesday July 9th and in the next day or so I will get specific cost info but when googling angiogram of the neck, it was 16,200 dollars. I don’t even know what to think about that figure because it’s absolutely impossible so praying the hospital and doctors office will be able to provide some sort of reduced price or payment plan. Next we have to schedule with a hematologist to rule out certain types tumors that could have caused all of this.
Because Dwayne is private pay, each specialist visit runs 100-125 and each test varies in cost. He has had 2 MRIs at 500 each and a CTA at 850. He is also on a seizure medication because of a seizure he had after his stroke and the medication is just under 1000 (with goodrx) per month. Luckily, we have enough samples of the medication to last 6 more weeks before we have to try and figure out that cost. I will be able to add Dwayne to my insurance during open enrollment but it will not be effective until 1/1/2020 so if we are able to put off the stent or bypass until then we will be fine to pay for the procedure but this angiogram, hematologist, and whatever labs he has to do is the major priority so we can begin eliminating the issues and getting to a solution. I hate asking for help but I am just not sure what else to do at this point. Dwayne needs this medical care so he can watch his children grow up and so he is able to get back to work and feel like a regular person again. He hates being so limited and in need of treatment, he hates not being able to work. I hate that I can see he feels like a burden to us, but he is the farthest thing from it, we are not a family without him and regardless of how much begging and pleading I am having to swallow my pride to do, we don’t have a choice. I just want my children to have their daddy and I want my husband around to share all these moments with. It’s not fair things happen to such good people, I know its all a part of a bigger plan, but while going through it, sometimes its hard to see the good. I know we will get through this and its out of my control. We are trying to focus on our blessings and our sweet healthy babies and everything else will fall into place exactly how it’s meant to. Please consider helping my family in this time of need. Thanks!
Original 3/23/19:
My husband, Dwayne Johnson is 37 (his 38th bday is 3/29) and he is an amazing father, husband, brother, son, and uncle. People just gravitate to him because of what a people person he is and just over all a great person. He loves camping and taking his children on adventures to the boerne cibolo or down the walking trail. Dwayne was offered an amazing job opportunity that was in the workings and prior to him being able to start work ...on March 23, 2019 at around 8 am he had a massive stroke caused by 2 blood clots on his brain. Thanks to Boerne EMS they were at our house in lightening speed and rushed him to University hospital in San Antonio which undoubtedly saved his life. Because he was in between jobs he did not have health insurance and because I need to be by his side I am on medical leave from work which now takes our monthly income to just about 0. Not only do we need to pay for his medical bills but we also have bills that dont stop and we are so overwhelmed with what the near future holds for us. My kids don’t understand why their mommy and daddy isn’t at home and I feel so split because I cannot leave the love of my life’s side but I also miss my babies so much. We hate asking for help but with all the chaos I don’t want my children to have to lose their home or have to be burdened by this struggle. We KNOW God will heal and we KNOW God provides and we have complete faith we will get through this, we just need a little help doing so. If you can’t help financially, prayers are very much needed and appreciated.
We we love you all and I will keep this updated. It may be every few days as I am so overwhelmed but together with God we can do it. This too shall pass.
Organizer
Autumn Johnson
Organizer
Boerne, TX
