Help Madeleine Florkowski Walk Again

My name is Mikayla Furlong, the oldest daughter of Madeleine Florkowski. My siblings and I are creating this GoFundMe to help my mom have the best chance at walking again, working with the children she loves, and to be able to love and spend time with her three grandchildren.

Last fall, my mom started experiencing small issues with her legs, beginning with a mild tingling sensation in her thigh that doctors couldn't diagnose. This progressed to severe difficulty walking which led to many falls due to her unsteadiness. Despite this, she tried to heal at home, driving herself to and from the chiropractor, attending water therapy, and going to multiple doctor's appointments to figure out what was wrong. By February, she was so desperate for answers that she went to the ER, hoping the doctors there could help. Unfortunately, they found no answers and proceeded to send her home with pain meds as the only solution.

In April, my mom went to the ER again after suffering another fall, where doctors discovered extreme stenosis in her neck. They performed a spinal fusion to relieve stress on the nerves, hoping she would regain function in her legs. After the surgery, she spent three weeks in a rehabilitation hospital, receiving three hours of physical therapy daily. However, she faced physical setbacks such as recurring infections and impaired cognitive function due to swelling on the brain that had not yet been identified. She then moved to a skilled nursing facility, but weeks passed with little to no improvement in her ability to walk or cognitive function.

About two months later, my mom was rushed to the ER after suffering from seizures that were caused by an infection. It was also discovered that her cognitive impairment was due to NPH (normal pressure hydrocephalus) – fluid was not leaving her brain at the proper rate. She then had shunt put in to address the NPH and we finally saw improvement in her cognitive function and have begun to see small physical improvements such as being able to wiggle both legs, and she has just started to be able to increase her physical workouts.

Now, she is in a new skilled nursing facility with a highly-rated therapy team. Before this, she had been bedridden for 2-3 months. Her physical progress is slower, but she is gaining strength, and her cognitive function has greatly improved. She is determined to walk again.

This is where we need the community's help. Insurance, as helpful as it is, stated they will only cover 20 days at this facility and if my mom doesn't improve "fast enough," they will cut off her coverage. Unfortunately, insurance made this decision to cut off payment as of July 8th which means that if we are not able to pay out of pocket, she will be moved to a home without built-in therapy. We fear she may never walk again if this move takes place and are asking for any help possible

Your donations will help extend my mom's stay at her current skilled nursing home, which offers daily therapy with a highly-rated team. We believe a couple more months of daily therapy would give her the time she needs to learn to walk again. Our goal is to cover two months of her stay at this skilled nursing home.

We are deeply grateful for your constant prayers and kind words for our mom. This year has been incredibly challenging, but we have seen God's hand in it all and trust His plan. If you find it in your hearts to donate to Mrs. Florkowski, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Your support means the world to us, and we cannot thank you enough.