Our beloved friend, Holly Phares, is presently in the final phase of healing and rehabilitating from three foot surgeries that were a result of a rough fall she took in her apartment back in February, in which she lay in and out of consciousness for three days until her building management performed a wellness check and paramedics gratefully were able to bring her to Roxborough Memorial Hospital, where she stayed for the first two weeks of a long healing process where she was receiving the start of a 6-week protocol of 24/7 IV antibiotics to prevent any further blood or bone infections as well as live with a daily monitored wound vac on her right foot wound and partially reconstructed pinky toe.

Fast forward to today, where she is now battling her health insurance company with a second appeal to their recent denial of continued care at the rehab center where she has resided since Feb. 28th, where she has been working daily on crucial PT & OT sessions to rebuild & strengthen muscles and re-learn how to walk again.

Sadly, Holly is in need of a couple more solid weeks of this crucial therapy in order to return home to her apartment safely. She has now been paying a large amount of money “out of pocket” daily since last Friday, after the insurance company cut off their coverage on Thursday. She has not received any further PT or OT, but continues to do the rigorous exercises she was trained to do in the early days of her rehabilitation there so she doesn’t lose the strength she had spent 6 weeks building up until she finally was deemed “weight bearing” after both the IV antibiotics and foot wound vac were removed.

She currently awaits the decision of her second appeal and will continue to pay for everything out of pocket until she is safe enough to leave and receive home health care. If it is denied, she will be leaving mid-week next week, when her family members are able to come down to help with her rigorous transition and insure she is set up safely and home nursing care and PT professionals can take care of her daily. Once in that situation, she will be paying $90 co-pay per session for all the necessary PT & OT sessions (& she actually has a solid, GOOD plan!).

All of these costs, including whatever items or procedures were not fully covered from Feb. 14th to present, will add up quickly.

Gratefully, Holly’s church job at UU Mt. Airy and work with Parkinsingers has supported her financially, even with her inability to be there in person to run the choir programs and play and direct on Sundays at church, but at least is still actively (remotely) involved in the weekly planning and organizing the music. Parkinsingers Zoom sessions missed will be included into the first few months after returning home to make up for her medical leave. But, the other half of her income in her freelance teaching and coaching work has been lost - a total of two full months.

We are now reaching out to any and all friends, colleagues, and anyone who knows our beloved diva (!) to share anything you might feel comfortable of your own abundance to help build some financial support for her, as she faces the daunting bills rolling in soon.

Any amount would be gratefully accepted and put towards these medical bills, including the necessary equipment and medical supplies for further care at home.

And let’s light a candle - say a prayer - sing a song - dance under the full pink moon (!) that her second and final appeal is approved soon and she can have the out of pocket expenses incurred be retroactively covered and pending home care costs at least diminished a bit.

Thank you in advance for anything you can offer, including sharing this post with others you feel might know Holly and be able to help us out.

With immense gratitude and hope,

Ryan Fleming for Dame Holly ❤️