Urgent Medical Fundraiser for Our Grandma Stephanie Carpenter

On Saturday, May 25, 2024, our beloved grandmother, Stephanie Carpenter, experienced a traumatic fall on the pool deck in Cancun, resulting in a severe hip fracture. Stephanie was rushed by ambulance to La Joya Hospital, where immediate medical intervention was necessary. The hospital required a $2,000 hold on a credit card to perform an MRI. The MRI confirmed the fracture, necessitating emergency surgery.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Sunday, May 26: After consulting with Stephanie’s family and doctors, the hospital demanded an $18,000 hold on a credit card for the surgery. However, the surgery was postponed due to Stephanie's medical condition. The revised procedure would leave her bedridden and unable to walk for 8 to 10 weeks. Despite our concerns, the doctors insisted that moving her would be life-threatening due to her risk of a blood clot. Stephanie, heavily sedated on morphine, believed she would die if she left the hospital and agreed to undergo the surgery at La Joya.

Monday, May 27: The hospital unexpectedly increased the surgery cost to $50,000 and demanded an additional $21,000 for the hospital stay. They threatened to transfer her to a public hospital with a two-week wait for surgery if we did not pay. Given Stephanie's critical condition, surgery was crucial within 24 hours due to her being on blood thinners for a heart condition. Despite numerous attempts to contact the embassy for help, the Memorial Day holiday hindered any immediate assistance. Realizing we had no choice, we arranged a $19,500 air ambulance to transport Stephanie to Florida for urgent care.

A relative covered the $19,500 air ambulance cost. The final bill for the hospital stay, including only an MRI and morphine, amounted to $35,000. Stephanie did not have a credit card with a high enough limit or sufficient savings. Family members sent credit cards to cover the bill, but fraud flags limited payments to $17,000. The hospital was unsatisfied and threatened to move Stephanie. However, Mexican law prohibits detaining patients for unpaid medical bills.

When the air ambulance team arrived, the hospital refused to release Stephanie without full payment. After several hours of pleading, they accepted $13,000 and wrote off $5,000. Stephanie safely arrived at a Florida trauma hospital at 3:30 AM, where she underwent three blood transfusions and emergency surgery. She is currently in rehab in Orlando, recovering physically but facing severe financial strain at 70 years old.

How You Can Help

Our Grandparents, Stephanie and Bill Carpenter are now burdened with $45,500 in debt, including $30,000 for medical expenses and $19,500 for the air ambulance. This situation has placed immense emotional and financial strain on our family. Our grandmother has always been there for us, offering financial and emotional support whenever we needed it. Now, we want to be there for her.

We are seeking your support to help cover these unexpected and exorbitant expenses. Any contribution, no matter how small, will make a significant difference and bring us closer to our goal. Your generosity will not only aid in covering these expenses but also provide a sense of relief and hope during this challenging time.

Ways to Help:

1. Donate: Please consider making a donation to help us reach our goal. Every dollar counts and will be deeply appreciated.

2. Share: Even if you are unable to donate, sharing our campaign with your network can help us reach more people who might be able to assist.

We are incredibly grateful for your support and understanding. Thank you for taking the time to read our story and for any help you can provide.

With heartfelt thanks from her grandchildren,

Brandon Carpenter, Aaron Carpenter, Caitlyn Lipschitz, Jacob Lipschitz, Natalia Furey, Tyler Carpenter, Mason Monetti, Hailey Monetti and Joseph Carpenter