Help Mend Marla

You never think it will happen to you but it has and now I am a single mother with 3 kids and mounting medical debt. A few years ago, I went through a bad divorce that had already left me with debt from lawyer fees and such. I have done all that I can to protect my 3 girls and try very hard to hide the stresses of being a single mom.

As uncomfortable as this is to reach out to complete strangers, friends, and family members for help I have no other options left. So here we go, at the start of the pandemic in 2020 I lost my second job and my ability to pay for daycare. I have had COVID twice this past year despite being vaccinated and having my booster shots. I have been very careful to protect myself and my family who all suffer from asthma and luckily my 3 children have not caught the virus.

At the start of 2021 I injured my back, the highlights or low lights of this injury is one of my disks in my lower back fully ruptured and was pressing soo much on my sciatic nerve that I could no longer walk. I ended up having emergency surgery to clean it out and keep it from atrophying to the point of non-recovery. Since then I have had physical therapy, CTs, spinal injections, and MRI’s all while fighting with Workman’s Comp and appealing almost everything. I have now learned that I have 3 more disks in danger of serious issues. 2 are torn and one more is bulging bad. And despite physical therapy a couple vertebrae have started self-fusing. Thus, creating more mobility issues. At my last appointment I was told it looks like this will not be healing at this rate and the continued issues will likely not go away and he recommends another surgery consult.

Just before Christmas I was told that my gallbladder was only functioning at 7%. I had to have surgery to remove. This has brought dietary changes to our home, this was a blessing in a way as in early 2021, my oldest daughter was diagnosed with Celiac Disease that had us all go gluten free. This increases our costs for food as unfortunately the cheaper items are all unable to be used. I can’t even go to the food bank anymore for assistance due to 90% of their items being gluten. I have a lot of allergies to foods and other things enough to have to carry epi-pens with me at all times already.

Unfortunately, with the pending tests and biopsies taken and more scheduled there are now concerns for my Thyroid and possible cancer symptoms. Depending on results of those there could be more than just my back needing more surgery and therapy.

I have tried to remain working through all of this to provide for my children. I am working with my children’s school as all 3 of my children struggle with anxiety and my 2nd oldest is being evaluated for autism. Cost of rent and everything else going up has put a severe strain on finances and debt keeps accruing. I even ended up being sued last fall due to inability to pay. The Job I do have has tried being accommodating. But I can see the strain on the team relationships given the impact all of this has had on my reliability and training. This just adds to the stress I feel from all of the medical needs and bills. And brings into question the security of my lease being able to be kept. As much as I try and shield my troubles from my children, each of them have come to me alone and been in tears concerned that I could die because they see me in pain and know I had to have surgery or that I will make sure they eat but might not always see me eat with them due to how I am feeling or any other factors that day.

So again, I humbly ask for any help that you are able to give, I ask that you share my story and spread the word and try and “Mend Marla”. I have exhausted any other help avenues and with family and friends unable to assist I don’t know where else to look and nothing of value that I own to try to part with. Urgent help is needed to prevent further debts being sued for inability to pay. Not all of them want to work arrangements without either steep interest or just pushing for their debt to be paid disregarding any other needs that might be here, other bills, food, etc. We can’t live like this.

Help from you will allow me to keep my children and I secure especially while we continue through these tests and other medical needs.

Thank you!