Getting Diane Back on Her Feet
Donation protected
Please honor Diane's wishes and do not share this campaign on Facebook! But keep reading to see how you, your friends and colleagues can help get Diane back on her feet....
Our dear friend and colleague Diane Payne has dedicated her personal and professional life to helping children, families, and communities in Alaska and across the country. In addition to her paid work, she has generously donated her time for over 40 years to serve on local, statewide and federal committees, boards and projects toward improving the lives of children and families and never expected compensation. Diane is now facing serious health and financial difficulties, and she urgently needs our help!
As some of you know, last year Diane was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive form of thyroid cancer with an extremely low survival rate. The good news is that the inoperable tumor in her neck has been eliminated after intensive treatment including radiation, chemotherapy and immunotherapy (though she has to be scanned every three months for the next five years due to high chances of cancer cells reactivating). The bad news is that the treatment has wreaked havoc on her body: among other things, she is suffering from persistent fatigue; severe scar tissue affecting speech, swallowing, and breathing (which may be permanent); type 1 auto-immune diabetes; and extreme muscle weakness. She has had several falls, resulting in injuries and extended hospital stays.
Diane is currently unable to drive, must use a walker, and requires daily Personal Care Attendant assistance for some basic tasks. She is also receiving acupuncture to mitigate the damage from scar tissue, as well as physical therapy several times each week. Although Medicare covers some expenses, her out of pocket costs are $3200 per month for PCA assistance, transportation, physical therapy, and acupuncture. She also recently learned that the insulin is going to cost $325 per prescription. Her co-pay and deductible for doctor bills, cancer treatments, radiology and hospitalizations for 2018-19 is already over $10,000.
As you all know, Diane is a very proud and private person, and it took a fair amount of badgering to get her to agree to a GoFundMe campaign. The sad fact is that she simply cannot afford all her health care expenses, and hopefully she will be able to draw on the generosity of her friends and colleagues to assist her.
Even with all her health challenges, Diane's spirits remain high and she is determined to walk the long road to complete recovery.
Here's what you can do to help:
* Make a donation -- every little bit will help and will be greatly appreciated;
* Share this campaign via email with co-workers, other colleagues, and friends who know Diane;
* Send a card, poem, or other greeting to Diane at P.O. Box 670818, Chugiak, AK 99567 or [email redacted].
Please respect Diane's wishes and do not share this campaign on Facebook! Many of Diane's Facebook friends are former clients and others whom she does not want to burden with hearing about her challenges.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and thank you for any financial and/or moral support you can offer for Diane. Please be generous!
Our dear friend and colleague Diane Payne has dedicated her personal and professional life to helping children, families, and communities in Alaska and across the country. In addition to her paid work, she has generously donated her time for over 40 years to serve on local, statewide and federal committees, boards and projects toward improving the lives of children and families and never expected compensation. Diane is now facing serious health and financial difficulties, and she urgently needs our help!
As some of you know, last year Diane was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive form of thyroid cancer with an extremely low survival rate. The good news is that the inoperable tumor in her neck has been eliminated after intensive treatment including radiation, chemotherapy and immunotherapy (though she has to be scanned every three months for the next five years due to high chances of cancer cells reactivating). The bad news is that the treatment has wreaked havoc on her body: among other things, she is suffering from persistent fatigue; severe scar tissue affecting speech, swallowing, and breathing (which may be permanent); type 1 auto-immune diabetes; and extreme muscle weakness. She has had several falls, resulting in injuries and extended hospital stays.
Diane is currently unable to drive, must use a walker, and requires daily Personal Care Attendant assistance for some basic tasks. She is also receiving acupuncture to mitigate the damage from scar tissue, as well as physical therapy several times each week. Although Medicare covers some expenses, her out of pocket costs are $3200 per month for PCA assistance, transportation, physical therapy, and acupuncture. She also recently learned that the insulin is going to cost $325 per prescription. Her co-pay and deductible for doctor bills, cancer treatments, radiology and hospitalizations for 2018-19 is already over $10,000.
As you all know, Diane is a very proud and private person, and it took a fair amount of badgering to get her to agree to a GoFundMe campaign. The sad fact is that she simply cannot afford all her health care expenses, and hopefully she will be able to draw on the generosity of her friends and colleagues to assist her.
Even with all her health challenges, Diane's spirits remain high and she is determined to walk the long road to complete recovery.
Here's what you can do to help:
* Make a donation -- every little bit will help and will be greatly appreciated;
* Share this campaign via email with co-workers, other colleagues, and friends who know Diane;
* Send a card, poem, or other greeting to Diane at P.O. Box 670818, Chugiak, AK 99567 or [email redacted].
Please respect Diane's wishes and do not share this campaign on Facebook! Many of Diane's Facebook friends are former clients and others whom she does not want to burden with hearing about her challenges.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and thank you for any financial and/or moral support you can offer for Diane. Please be generous!
Organizer and beneficiary
Barb Malchick
Organizer
Anchorage, AK
Diane Payne
Beneficiary
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