Gaylen Grandstaff medical expenses

This medical assistance campaign is being created to help brother Gaylen Grandstaff. 

Please read his story below.

I’m a 53 year old American teacher in Moscow, Russian Federation. I was arrested 18 July, 2017 on erroneous charges, and as a result, I’ve spent 20 months in prison. During this time I’ve been subjected to very harsh conditions, physical and psychological abuse, and denied much needed medical treatment.

On 9 August, 2018, while in transport to court I was transferred from one truck to another. When ascending the steps to enter the second vehicle, my right foot slipped through the frame of the second step. There was no platform atop it, hence, when I stepped up, the only contact between my shoe and the step was at the toe and heel. My foot slipped through up to an area just below my knee. At the same time, being thrown off balance, I fell backward. I fell awkwardly to my left side rather than straight back. My head struck the concrete and bounced as my entire body was then suspended by my right knee. The pain in my knee was excruciating, surpassing the pain in my head and neck. Some 17 years earlier I had a severe neck injury, while employed as a firefighter. That injury left me with a titanium plate in my neck attached by 4 screws. Again I felt intense pain in my neck and in my head, but what was most intense, was the piercing pain in my right knee!

I was transported to court without medical examination. My lawyer demanded answers when I came hobbling into the courtroom. The police told him, they would call an ambulance for me after my court hearing. They did not, in fact, they returned me to the prison around 1 am, and there too I was refused medical attention. I had a severe headache for the next 4 days. The back of my head, left side of my neck, and my knee and lower leg were severely swollen. I was denied medical treatment for 17 days, at which time I was transferred to a hospital within the prison system. There they gave me several nerve blocking injections in my neck, daily intravenous drug combinations, and intramuscular injections of pain relieving medications. During this 6 week stay in hospital I requested diagnostics of my knee every day but they refused. They eventually performed an X-ray, but nothing further.

After my return to the prison, I continued to request help with my knee, which was causing incredible pain, and made a loud popping sound when I walked. They did not provide any medical help. Finally, I met with the warden of the prison and he agreed to allow my wife to deliver a compression bandage. It did provide some help, reducing the popping and giving me some confidence in using my now unstable knee. It constantly felt as if it would hyperextend, or bend sideways. Wrapped tightly, I was able to walk much better. Unfortunately, everyone involved including police, guards, and medical staff employed at the prison, have done everything possible to cover-up the incident, rather than provide any form of medical treatment.

The judge in my case finally ruled to set me free on 18 March, 2019. The case was sent back to the prosecutor due to lack of evidence, this after 20 months imprisonment!

I’ve been to many doctors since my release, all of whom confirmed I had a serious injury. Unfortunately, I had difficulty finding anyone willing to give me an MRI due to my having the plate in my neck. I even traveled to other cities in Russia to not avail. Finally, my wife found a clinic willing to perform and MRI here in Moscow. The results confirmed the injury to my knee.

Thursday, the 6th of June, 2019 we had a consultation with an orthopedic surgeon. After examination and viewing of my MRI, he explained that surgery was necessary to reconstruct my knee. He said I will need Arthroscopic Anterior Cruciate Ligament [ACL] reconstruction using a graft from my leg. He also said that he could ‘stitch’ to make some repair to my meniscus and ‘trim’ elsewhere.

Making the situation worse, I cannot leave Russia until they decide to remove the charges completely. I also cannot legally work here because my Visa expired while in prison in November 2017. So, while they have released me from prison, I am certainly not ‘free’.

Not surprisingly, we've discovered associated costs that are not included in the quote we initially received when I had my MRI and examination. For example, in addition to the pre-op blood tests, a chest X-ray and additional examination are required within 20 days of the surgery. There are additional charges for the physical therapy (every day for the first 2 weeks, then stage 2, for 4 - 6 weeks) and for the use of the facility in stage 2. Additional orthopedic rental fees and post-op medication. Transportation home from the hospital (after 2 days stay), and transportation to the initial daily physical therapy. These additional expenses total $1,530 above the original quote we were given by the hospital of $5,200. The only other foreseeable obstacle will be the apartment rent that month, as we can expect very little if any income for the first month. ($500 rent)  If we include this amount with the other directly related medical costs, there's a total of $7,230 needed.