Help Rodney and Paula with Rehabilitation Expenses

My grandfather is not the kind of person to ask for help. He’s a strong man, even stronger willed. This year has not been kind to neither him nor my grandma.

2025 started with an emergency room visit that has turned into more than a one hundred day uphill battle. Rodney, my grandpa, has been diagnosed with renal failure and is in need of dialysis to keep his body functioning properly but that’s not where the battle begins.

On January 1st, Paula, my grandma, decided it was time to take Rodney to the hospital because he was experiencing weakness and confusion that we all thought was linked to a previous condition. After a lengthy hospital stay, multiple doctors, tests, and worried phone calls between family, he was diagnosed with a severe UTI and dehydration. Everything else seemed to be improving, including his kidney function. At that time, he was released to an assisted living center where he stayed for around three weeks.

At the assisted living center, they had Rodney doing physical therapy. He was working on getting some of his strength back so he could go home and continue doing the things that him and Paula love; camping, exploring the outdoors, visiting and loving on their grandbabies, and a big ole steak that one of his daughters promised him, after he was released from the assisted living center, of course.

After Rodney’s 21 day stay at the assisted living center, he spent all of 13 days at home. On February 13th he was brought to the hospital again and diagnosed with pneumonia and low kidney function. That day and the days after, his weakness and confusion became extremely concerning. After they did scans after scans, blood work , blood transfusions, breathing treatments and so much more, everything seemed to be looking up at that point, so much so that the doctors were talking about releasing him to go home.

Less than 24 hours later, on February 16th, my grandpa stopped breathing.

After a few minutes the doctors and nurses were able to get him back but this started an 18 day stay in the ICU. He spent 11 of those days sedated and intubated, he looked gray and lifeless lying there. At that point none of us knew what would come next.

The doctors told us that he was in renal failure and needed dialysis to survive. After starting dialysis, they were able to lighten his sedation and start reducing his ventilator settings, not out of the woods yet but he was improving everyday. We all know the saying “it’s a marathon, not a sprint,” and this truly was a marathon, and still is.

47 days after he was brought to the hospital for pneumonia, he was released to a rehabilitation facility. My grandpa is getting stronger every day, he has his color back. He is getting back to his ornery, grumpy, silly, self and we all couldn’t be more grateful to have him back to some semblance of normal.

After all of this, my grandparent’s battle isn’t over, they were told that insurance will not be covering all of his rehabilitation costs. Leaving more than $200 per day for the family to come up with. All because there were only 13 days between his release from the assisted living center and him being put back into the hospital. Per insurance’s guidelines, a person needs to be out of an assisted living or rehabilitation center at least 60 days before they will cover another stay. That leaves my grandparents in a hard situation. Rodney isn’t strong enough to come home yet, he needs physical therapy and this rehabilitation program will help get him to that point but it’s expensive. They are doing everything they can afford this and every cent donated will go straight to helping pay for his rehabilitation bills.

I am asking you to help my grandparents, however possible. If you could spare $5, $10, even just a dollar our family would be very appreciative. If you can’t help monetarily, I ask that you please share this fundraiser so Rodney and Paula’s story can reach more people. However you choose to help, we ask that you also keep Rodney, Paula, and the rest our family in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you.