My name is Kim Muñoz. In November 2022, I fell and hit the outside of my kneecap while in Tijuana for an academic conference. This trauma tore my meniscus in my right knee and injured other parts of my knee, too.

A bursa in my right knee swelled and burst at the end of January. I went to an emergency room, and after getting X-rays, the doctors told me that either I would have to pay for an MRI privately or wait 2-6 months for a referral just for an MRI.

It is clear to physicians that my injury requires surgery. Despite having health insurance through work, the availability of imaging services, appointments with non-emergency room specialists, and time slots for surgery mean that I will have to wait until sometime between July and November 2023 for the meniscus repair surgery.

After paying for the MRI out of pocket, I have spent over a month reporting to primary care physicians in IMSS and ISSSTE for notes to human resources at work and waiting for consultations with their specialists. I am not supposed to walk on my right leg without using crutches and only do so when necessary.

Neither my work nor my housing is accessible. My apartment requires me to go up three flights of stairs. The offices and classrooms where I work and collaborate require me to go up 2-8 flights of stairs. The doctors do not want me to use stairs and will only allow it when necessary, once a day.

The cost of private surgery would be approximately USD 3,000. Despite insurance through work, I have already spent more than USD 300 on diagnostics, such as an MRI and two private consults to get precise information, a diagnostic, and a timeline. If I were to pay for the surgery privately, I could schedule my surgery for a date that is less than a week from today.

Paying for the pre-op and surgery bills and PT appointments will put me in a precarious financial position. On the other hand, waiting for my insurance-covered doctors to schedule me for diagnostics, consults, and surgery will not allow me to finish my research collaboration and work satisfactorily.

I have not physically gone to work for more than a month while I wait for consultations with specialists covered by my insurance. I have kept a positive attitude throughout this health problem and continued researching remotely and working without putting weight on my knee. However, I would like to get the surgery sooner since it is needed to recover and fully participate and collaborate in my projects; people depend on me.

I have previously helped several friends this way or through events; this is one of my last resorts to pay for the surgery.

I hope you can help by contributing to help with the costs of private surgery so that I can schedule it in March when my son and other friends can help take care of me during their Spring break and Semana Santa. This way, I can finish my research and collaborations and return to work sooner. Thank you for your kindness and consideration.