Greta Pullen's medical expenses

Hello, friends.

I've started a GoFundMe campaign on behalf of my good friend Greta Pullen, who moved to Mexico in 2015 from Albuquerque New Mexico, where I had the pleasure of getting to know her.

Greta has given so much to so many, and now needs our help meeting the costs of knee surgery, which she underwent in Mexico in March of this year.

Greta's story:

A published poet and author, Greta has been an ESL teacher for refugees, immigrants, and foreign students. She served as a research librarian at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, and coordinated an annual Latino Writers Conference there.

Some years ago, tore the miniscus of her left knee. Then, upon retiring and moving to Mexico in 2015, she aggravated the old knee injury. She underwent arthroscopic knee surgery which helped to relieve the pain momentarily. She's had weekly physical therapy, wears a neoprene knee brace, and walks with a cane. The physical therapy strengthened her muscles; however, the bone damage to the knee has led to frequent pain and a lack of stability.

By the end of 2022, Greta was unable to navigate stairs at home or in public places. The orthopedic surgeon in Mexico said that she required a knee replacement in March 2023. The surgery was successful---but because of pandemic-related supply-chain issues, it has become more expensive. (The prosthetic device is made from titanium, a scarce metal that is available only from a few countries.)

Greta has had to use up more than half of her savings to meet her medical expenses. Her parents are deceased, and her siblings are unable to help out financially. She lives on a fixed income. Ancillary costs to the surgery include all medicines, the cost of the operating room, a two-night stay in a private room at the hospital, prescription medicines, the purchase of a hospital bed (no rentals were available), commode, and a new walker.

Her neighbors recommended a caregiver who stayed overnight and provided sponge baths, wound care, and a schedule for all meds. Neighborhood friends assisted her by preparing meals and delivering them, doing banking transactions, paying bills, cleaning the house weekly and doing laundry.

Greta's ability to keep up her spirits in the face of these challenges has been an ongoing source of inspiration to me, as it has to all her friends. To defray medical costs and to prepare for the prospect of a future medical emergency, we're asking friends, acquaintances, former coworkers---and others who appreciate the struggle of medical debt---to make donations in any amount with the goal of eventually raising $8,000 USD.

Muchismas gracias y vaya con dios!