Hi, I am Michele Washington, and I have created this campaign with the hope of helping my mother, Ms. Thelma Jackson, a 5x Marathon runner who began running at the age of "60" and who is now running a different type of marathon concerning her health, which she is determined to recover!

Unfortunately, in December 2021, my mother suffered a brain stem stroke, which affected her ability to swallow, eat and regularly speak like most people, along with the right side of her body being impacted. When my mother was discharged from the hospital on February 1, 2022, she immediately began home therapy and was determined to get stronger and improve so she could attend rehab. Since that time, she had learned how to wheel herself across the living room on a carpeted floor in her wheelchair, lift lite weights to build her upper body strength and practice saying sounds to help her speech.

Sadly, on October 7, 2022, my mother returned to the hospital, and upon arriving, we discovered her sodium levels were extremely low. Once she was admitted into the ICU, she was placed on oxygen and after having some chest x-rays taken, they found she had Pneumonia. During all of this, my mother was aware of her surroundings and was at the time able to communicate with her eyes and her left hand.

As the days progressed, I was told by the medical staff that my mother needed to be admitted into a specialty hospital known as a Long Term Acute Care Hospital (LTACH), where she could be weaned off of oxygen and receive the adequate amount of therapy she needs to help her get stronger. When that information was submitted to my mothers' insurance company the insurance company responded and said my mother needed to first have a tracheotomy and she had to fail at least three to four weaning tests of being on oxygen before they would approve her being admitted to an LTACH. Based on that information my mother underwent the suggestions given by her insurance company that her medical team shared with me. Once the medical staff reported back to the insurance company that she received the tracheotomy and she did not pass the weaning tests my mothers' insurance company denied her admittance into the LTACH, which would help her.

At that time my mothers' Case Manager suggested I cancel her Medicare Advantage Plan she had and switch her to Original Medicare, which would allow her to be admitted into the LTACH. In November 2022, I did what the Case Manager suggested so my mother could have her Original Medicare activated by December 1, 2022, so she could be admitted into the LTACH.

Since my mother would no longer have a Medicare Advantage Plan, I would have to find her a Supplemental Insurance Plan that would help cover the cost that Original Medicare does not cover. Upon researching the various types of Supplemental Insurance Plans I was able to learn about a plan I felt would be the best for her; however, after speaking with an Insurance Sales Agent and answering some health questions regarding my mother, I was told by the Agent that my mother would not be able to apply for a Supplemental Insurance Plan until she is discharged from the hospital and be out for at least ninety days. When I received this information I informed my mothers' Case Manager at the time and she let me know the daily cost for my mother to stay in the LTACH without a Supplemental Insurance Plan would cost us $700.00 per day. 

On December 1, 2022, my mother was admitted to AMG, LTACH Specialty Hospital in Oklahoma and since being admitted she has had several x-rays taken of her lungs, in addition to having two CT Scans and her peg tube being replaced due to a defect, which are all additional charges we did not anticipate.

The average cost to have the following procedures is:

CT Scan is approximately $4,750.00 depending on where it's done.

X-Ray is approximately $410.00 each time.

Peg Tube is approximately $2000.00 depending on where it's done.

Since my mothers' peg tube procedure during the week of December 11, 2022, she has begun mouthing words to try and speak as well as show off her incredibly beautiful smile once again and she has begun to follow commands that both her Physical and Occupational Therapists ask her. Those who know my mother know she is a Woman of Faith who hopes in and trusts in the Most-High! She is determined to walk again, dance and encourage others as she proclaims the Good News of the Bible to anyone who will listen.

In closing, during this recent 2022-2023 open enrollment period It was a very eye-opening experience to learn the differences between Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage Plans and Supplemental plans; however, very disheartening to learn the amount of money that our Seniors pay monthly to have health insurance only for them to learn the Advantage Plan they might have will deny the very services they need and they can't acquire supplemental health insurance if they are currently in a hospital, this ought not to be, so I appeal to anyone willing to assist my mother, Ms. Thelma "Triumphant" Jackson, as she continues to run this health marathon, race to recovery.

Thank you for your time, your prayers and your support.

Shalom and Many Blessings to you!