Help Rebecca With Endometriosis Medical Expenses
Donativo protegido
I'm creating this GoFundMe on behalf of my good friend, Rebecca - a fellow Endometriosis Warrior - with her permission.
After several weeks of contemplating whether or not she would be okay with starting a fundraiser, myself and some of her other friends have finally convinced her that this is something she should do! (From Rebecca: "For those of you that know me personally, you know that I have always been very independent. I don't like asking for help, and I'm always reluctant to accept help when offered. I feel ashamed, and like I'm a burden, but I wouldn't be asking if I didn't really need the help desperately...")
Rebecca was diagnosed with Stage IV Endometriosis in January 2019, after a cystectomy and laparoscopy surgery confirmed the diagnosis via pathology. (Endometriosis is an extremely painful condition, with no cure, where tissue similar to the tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus grows outside the uterus. It can implant itself anywhere in the body, however, is most prominently found growing in or around abdominal / pelvic organs, such as ovaries, bladder, intestines, colon, etc.)
Unfortunately, the surgery was rushed, and with a non-specialist, which ended up resulting in a botched/unsuccessful surgery, leaving behind many Endometriosis lesions, and causing Rebecca a tremendous amount of pain over the last year. Luckily, she was able to get in with one of the leading surgeons/specialists in the Endometriosis field, Dr. Andrea Vidali, and had her second excision surgery with him on January 24, 2020. That surgery found that Rebecca had Endometriosis in the following locations (pathology report as seen in the images below). Dr. Vidali excised everything he saw (good news!), and Rebecca has been recovering much better this time around. However, she still has a long way to go in her recovery. Suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (extreme exhaustion), Pudendal Neuralgia (extremely painful pelvic nerve pain that makes it difficult to use the bathroom, sit, or lay down) and suspected IC and Fibromyalgia, Dr. Vidali has recommended Rebecca to a few different specialized doctors in these areas that can perform some treatments to help her pain + boost her immune system. The treatment he believes will help her the most are a series of IVIG infusions, which he says will kick-start her immune system and help her "get her life back." However, this does not come cheap. These specialists (as most are, we are learning) do not accept insurance, and the treatments are not covered by insurance. An appointment with just one of the neurologists she needs to see runs at $800/visit, and that is just for the visit - it doesn't include any treatments.
She needs to see several more specialists including a neurologist, rheumatologist, pelvic pain management specialist for a nerve block injection and other treatment options, in addition to physical therapy 2x/week at $50 copay a session. Additionally, bills from previous procedures/tests/her most recent surgery are rolling in, and adding up. Dr. Vidali did not accept insurance (again, a top specialist...) and Rebecca's current insurance (Aetna) did not cover a lot of her tests leading up to this surgery. Ultrasounds, MRIs, bloodwork/lab tests, anesthesia, and hospital fees are all being billed to Rebecca to cover out-of-pocket. She owes about $10,000 in medical bills currently (estimated), with more to be expected, and still cannot afford the follow-up treatment recommended for her to receive.
In September of last year, Rebecca was at the peak of her career, leading the marketing and branding efforts for a prominent NYC hospitality group. It was a very tough decision for her, but she had to listen to her body and resign, leaving behind everything she worked so hard to build for her career. As someone who also suffers with Endometriosis, I know all too well how difficult it is to maintain a full time career while battling this disease. She did what she knew she had to, and left behind her successful career, and all income she had coming in, solely living off her savings and 401K over the last 5 months, so that she could focus on her health and try to get the pain/exhaustion under control. Last year alone she spent approximately $45,000 on medical costs -- with insurance -- and is struggling financially to keep up while not working. Unfortunately, her funds are running out, and she needs our help - now.
Let's come together to help Rebecca in her time of need. Anything at all you can provide to help her with living expenses, medical bills, medical treatment, etc. would be tremendously appreciated. The goal is to get her well enough so that she can quickly go back to work and pick up where she left off with her career, and doing what she loves. :)
Thanks everyone. Rebecca and myself truly appreciate your generosity. <3
After several weeks of contemplating whether or not she would be okay with starting a fundraiser, myself and some of her other friends have finally convinced her that this is something she should do! (From Rebecca: "For those of you that know me personally, you know that I have always been very independent. I don't like asking for help, and I'm always reluctant to accept help when offered. I feel ashamed, and like I'm a burden, but I wouldn't be asking if I didn't really need the help desperately...")
Rebecca was diagnosed with Stage IV Endometriosis in January 2019, after a cystectomy and laparoscopy surgery confirmed the diagnosis via pathology. (Endometriosis is an extremely painful condition, with no cure, where tissue similar to the tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus grows outside the uterus. It can implant itself anywhere in the body, however, is most prominently found growing in or around abdominal / pelvic organs, such as ovaries, bladder, intestines, colon, etc.)
Unfortunately, the surgery was rushed, and with a non-specialist, which ended up resulting in a botched/unsuccessful surgery, leaving behind many Endometriosis lesions, and causing Rebecca a tremendous amount of pain over the last year. Luckily, she was able to get in with one of the leading surgeons/specialists in the Endometriosis field, Dr. Andrea Vidali, and had her second excision surgery with him on January 24, 2020. That surgery found that Rebecca had Endometriosis in the following locations (pathology report as seen in the images below). Dr. Vidali excised everything he saw (good news!), and Rebecca has been recovering much better this time around. However, she still has a long way to go in her recovery. Suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (extreme exhaustion), Pudendal Neuralgia (extremely painful pelvic nerve pain that makes it difficult to use the bathroom, sit, or lay down) and suspected IC and Fibromyalgia, Dr. Vidali has recommended Rebecca to a few different specialized doctors in these areas that can perform some treatments to help her pain + boost her immune system. The treatment he believes will help her the most are a series of IVIG infusions, which he says will kick-start her immune system and help her "get her life back." However, this does not come cheap. These specialists (as most are, we are learning) do not accept insurance, and the treatments are not covered by insurance. An appointment with just one of the neurologists she needs to see runs at $800/visit, and that is just for the visit - it doesn't include any treatments.
She needs to see several more specialists including a neurologist, rheumatologist, pelvic pain management specialist for a nerve block injection and other treatment options, in addition to physical therapy 2x/week at $50 copay a session. Additionally, bills from previous procedures/tests/her most recent surgery are rolling in, and adding up. Dr. Vidali did not accept insurance (again, a top specialist...) and Rebecca's current insurance (Aetna) did not cover a lot of her tests leading up to this surgery. Ultrasounds, MRIs, bloodwork/lab tests, anesthesia, and hospital fees are all being billed to Rebecca to cover out-of-pocket. She owes about $10,000 in medical bills currently (estimated), with more to be expected, and still cannot afford the follow-up treatment recommended for her to receive.
In September of last year, Rebecca was at the peak of her career, leading the marketing and branding efforts for a prominent NYC hospitality group. It was a very tough decision for her, but she had to listen to her body and resign, leaving behind everything she worked so hard to build for her career. As someone who also suffers with Endometriosis, I know all too well how difficult it is to maintain a full time career while battling this disease. She did what she knew she had to, and left behind her successful career, and all income she had coming in, solely living off her savings and 401K over the last 5 months, so that she could focus on her health and try to get the pain/exhaustion under control. Last year alone she spent approximately $45,000 on medical costs -- with insurance -- and is struggling financially to keep up while not working. Unfortunately, her funds are running out, and she needs our help - now.
Let's come together to help Rebecca in her time of need. Anything at all you can provide to help her with living expenses, medical bills, medical treatment, etc. would be tremendously appreciated. The goal is to get her well enough so that she can quickly go back to work and pick up where she left off with her career, and doing what she loves. :)
Thanks everyone. Rebecca and myself truly appreciate your generosity. <3
Organizador y beneficiario
Amanda Ianiri
Organizador
New York, NY
Rebecca Perry
Beneficiario