Help Bryant pay off medical bills
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On Oct 28th, 2021, I was admitted to Virginia Hospital Center with the Diagnosis of Guillian-Barre Syndrome. Guillian-Barre Syndrome (GBS), for those who do not know, is an inflammatory disorder of the peripheral nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. It is a progressive disease that leads to ascending paralysis in the legs, arms, breathing, muscles, and face.
I was lucky to catch the disease early and was in a moderate condition when admitted. But the definition of “Moderate” for this condition still have a severe impact on the human body. During the week leading up to my doctors appointment that led to my admission my body became increasingly weak to the point I could not eat without choking.
The morning I was admitted to the hospital, I could barely get myself out of bed, dressed, and in my car. Once I got to my doctors office I was leaning up against the wall trying to support myself. I couldn’t even get my shoes off when I was time to step on the scale and I had to lay down just from the sheer exhaustion and weakness my body was facing. As the day progressed while lying in my swallowing became worse and I required assistance when transitioning my bed to observations tables for spinal taps, CAT scans, and MRIs. Even in its early and most moderate stages, I would not wish this pain, fear, and anxiety on anyone.
Thanks to my medical team, I received treatment in less than 48 hrs. However, the cost of treatment was prohibitive, and I had to submit an appeal to my insurance company to cover treatment as it was out of network.
Thankfully my insurance company marked it as in-network and covered around 95% of a $95,000 medical bill. But the remaining 5% of the bill has become an impossible beast to defeat with my income and cost of living in my area. Even with a payment plan, it’s a large financial burden.
If you know me, I rarely, if ever, ask for assistance. I always work to prioritize those in greater need than myself. However, I now realize that it is okay to ask for help. If you can donate any amount, I would greatly appreciate it. Leftover funds will be donated to the GBS/CIDP Foundation International, a non-profit that lobbies for funding, provides support to GBS patients, and sponsors research. Again thank you for any support that you can provide.
###UPDATE: A factual edit was made###
I was lucky to catch the disease early and was in a moderate condition when admitted. But the definition of “Moderate” for this condition still have a severe impact on the human body. During the week leading up to my doctors appointment that led to my admission my body became increasingly weak to the point I could not eat without choking.
The morning I was admitted to the hospital, I could barely get myself out of bed, dressed, and in my car. Once I got to my doctors office I was leaning up against the wall trying to support myself. I couldn’t even get my shoes off when I was time to step on the scale and I had to lay down just from the sheer exhaustion and weakness my body was facing. As the day progressed while lying in my swallowing became worse and I required assistance when transitioning my bed to observations tables for spinal taps, CAT scans, and MRIs. Even in its early and most moderate stages, I would not wish this pain, fear, and anxiety on anyone.
Thanks to my medical team, I received treatment in less than 48 hrs. However, the cost of treatment was prohibitive, and I had to submit an appeal to my insurance company to cover treatment as it was out of network.
Thankfully my insurance company marked it as in-network and covered around 95% of a $95,000 medical bill. But the remaining 5% of the bill has become an impossible beast to defeat with my income and cost of living in my area. Even with a payment plan, it’s a large financial burden.
If you know me, I rarely, if ever, ask for assistance. I always work to prioritize those in greater need than myself. However, I now realize that it is okay to ask for help. If you can donate any amount, I would greatly appreciate it. Leftover funds will be donated to the GBS/CIDP Foundation International, a non-profit that lobbies for funding, provides support to GBS patients, and sponsors research. Again thank you for any support that you can provide.
###UPDATE: A factual edit was made###
Organizer
Bryant Atkins
Organizer
Arlington, VA