Funds for Denise’s Medical Recovery

Hi, my name is Miranda and I’m fundraising on the behalf of my mother, Denise Raich. Denise is the wife to Craig and loving mother of Joshua, Miranda, and Jacob, and proud grandmother to 4 grandchildren. For the past 25 years she has been a dedicated and devoted 911 emergency dispatcher with a local sheriff’s office and was awarded the title of 2020 law enforcement dispatcher of the year in Michigan. She’s also very passionate and involved in Girl Scouts, having been a silver awardee Girl Scout herself, and has lead her own Girl Scout troop for 14 years and co-leading a new troop this past year.

Denise caught Covid-Pneumonia the early part of January, and was admitted into the hospital January 15th. Denise has been in the ICU for the past 2 weeks battling for her life with Covid-Pneumonia. Denise has slowly been making headway, but is still on a ventilator and feeding tube, not yet awake. It will be a long road that we must take one day at a time. She has also started dialysis because her kidneys have shut down, and her lungs have taken an unknown amount of damage according to doctors.

Denise was due to retire April 15th with a pension and 100% lifetime medical insurance. Denise is 20 working days away from earning her retirement, which has been a lifelong goal for her and something she has been eagerly looking forward to. Denise’s job requires that she work 10 days each month to earn credit towards her retirement, so that is 20 days spread across 2 months. The doctor advised us that she will not be returning to work because of covid related medical issues. Come the beginning of March, Denise will be out of health insurance because she has not been to work. The county employees are allowed to donate their earned time off to help pay for county employees that are on extended medical leave. Once her insurance expires because she is not at work, the cost of Cobra insurance to cover her while she is in the hospital is a crushing $1,700 a month. Her husbands medical insurance from his retirement does not kick in until he is 60 years old, which he is currently 56. When Denise was still working, her husband Craig was able to retire, but took a part time job that does not offer benefits. Now her husband is going back into the work force to try and find a full time job with benefits to ensure that Denise and her family will have the medical coverage they need, not knowing how long Denise will be in the hospital.

We are reaching out to Denise’s friends and family, along with the community for assistance towards her medical bills, the medical insurance, and towards any medical modifications needed to her home once she gets discharged. Anything is greatly appreciated and will be put towards ensuring Denise gets the best care she can receive so that she can eventually enjoy that hard earned retirement with her beloved family and rescue dog, Kalani.

Thank you for taking the time to hear Denise’s story,

The Raich Family