Emily Lounsbury’s Brain-stem Tumor Surgery

This GoFundMe is being created by friends on behalf of Emily Lounsbury, her husband, Andy, and their daughter, Elena, to cover the cost of their medical expenses due to a brain tumor found connected to Emily’s brainstem and upcoming brain surgery. Details are below.

After years of odd symptoms and unanswered concerns, Emily and her family found out at the end of January that she has a brain tumor. A few weeks later, their little family were sent out of state to meet with specialists in neurosurgery. There, Emily had several tests, including a more detailed scan of her brain tumor. Unfortunately, they discovered that the tumor is extensively attached to her brainstem and that it has what the doctors consider to be concerning characteristics. They have told Emily that the tumor needs to be removed and then tested for cancer, two weeks post-op, they will know wether or not the brain tumor is cancerous.

In April, Emily, Andy and Elena will be headed back to the out-of-state hospital for her brain surgery. They will need to arrive a week or so before the surgery for various scans and appointments; and will stay for at least 2 weeks after surgery. At the 2 week post-op mark, they will know what the next course of treatment will be, depending on wether the tumor is cancerous or not. Following surgery, Emily will need to continue rehabilitation therapy twice a week for six months. They learned their insurance will not cover all of these appointments, and some of the things needing to be done at the hospital for her treatment.

Emily and Andy are focused on preparing for this journey ahead and are trusting the Lord. We wanted to create a way for anyone who wanted to, to help cover the enormous expenses this family is taking on suddenly and unexpectedly. Andy works as a self-employed contractor and will be halting work for several weeks. He does not have paid time off.

This GoFundMe will help cover their traveling costs, medical bills, and the loss of Andy's income that covers their regular monthly bills. While staying out-of-state, they learned they will need to cover the cost of a space for Andy and Elena to stay for three weeks, as the hospital does not have family housing. They also needed to book flights last-minute on two occasions (for the first immediate tests and now for the surgery), as well as continue to cover their normal expenses. Apart from the possible outcome of the cancer biopsy, they will be taking three trips back to the clinic after the surgery at the 3, 6 and 12 month marks to monitor Emily’s brain post surgically.

If you would like to help carry this financial burden while the Lounsburys navigate this news, please donate!

*You can also use CashApp or Venmo if you prefer.

CashApp: $Emlounsbury

Venmo: @EmilyLounsbury1 (0178, if it asks for last four of her phone number)

(Please use one of these 3 options to donate, unless you’ve been in contact with Emily and Andy directly. No one else will be collecting donations for them, and any donations made here, on CashApp or Venmo go directly to their bank account. Thank you!)