Help Sue Walk Again!

Thank you to everyone for thinking of my mom these past few months — it’s been a rough road but we are so blessed that she has been home and getting stronger. If you don’t know my mom’s story, please read below for ✨✨Sue’s Story✨✨

Due to mom’s health she has been out of work for more than 10 months in addition to my dad having to take off for 4 months during her recovery at home after her amputation. On top of all of this, she lost her top tier health insurance at her job and is now paying an astronomical health insurance bill every month that barely covers her medical needs and medications. 

Since mom has been home the costs of making the house handicap accessible, out of pocket medical bills and normal life expenses have really put my parents in a bind. 

She is due for her very first temporary prosthetic leg in just a few weeks! However, with her new insurance the out of pocket cost will be over $3,000 — in eight months she will need a more permanent prosthetic that will be even more than the first. 

2021 was supposed to be a new leaf and unfortunately started out to be a mess for my family. Please #helpsuebeehoney in any way you can—donating or even sharing the link!

I want my mom to end 2021 strutting her stuff—literally!!!

✨✨Sue’s Story ✨✨

Mom had been having terrible circulation problems in her right leg for over a year and wound up having a bypass in her right leg in 2019. She ultimately had to have her right big toe removed anyway in 2019 as a result of the poor circulation. The bypass was a success until December 2020 when unfortunately the bypass failed  and caused a blockage in her right leg.

She went in for surgery to have the blockage removed and went home. A few days later, she was rushed to the hospital again as the blockage was now worse. She was in the hospital again with yet another blockage in the same leg and had yet another surgery to try and repair the bypass. My mom had 3 major surgeries on her leg within a month.

A few days later her leg was yet again not taking to the bypass and the decision was made by my mom and her doctors to have her right leg amputated about six inches below the knee. This surgery was successful and my mom was doing great in recovery and was transferred to a rehab. Unfortunately, mom’s muscles were weak and her healing did not go as planned.

She was told at the incision site of the amputation there was no blood circulating which was making it impossible for her to heal.

My mom had two options: go in for 2 more surgeries to see if they can save her knee (not guaranteed) or remove her leg to up to her mid thigh where the circulation is healthy and doctors were confident she will make a full recovery.

Sue decided to go through with the additional removal of her right leg to her mid thigh. She was healing and back in rehab for a week or so and then yet another hurdle — a blood clot in her lung. The stress of five major surgeries (including two amputations) in aspan of a month and a half left her bedridden which caused the pulmonary embolism. She is currently still on blood thinners for this and was on an oxygen tank for three months after she finally came home in February.

Sue went through so much in just three months but she was so composed, dignified, understanding and most of all accepting through the entire journey—I was and still am in complete awe of her.