Help the Oldham Family Heal

In September of 2013, Andrew, Tricia and their two-year old daughter, Charlotte relocated to Walla Walla, Washington because Andrew had a great opportunity to work as the executive chef for a well respected winery. Not long after they settled into their new home, their second daughter Georgia was born. Nine months later, just as their little family was beginning to find it’s groove, Tricia was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. This was a devastating diagnosis, especially for a family with two young children. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease in which your own immune system attacks the central nervous system (of the brain and the spine) causing lesions, scars and damage to the nerves. The type Tricia has is called Relapsing Remitting or (RRMS). This means she will have attacks of symptoms (called relapses) from time to time, followed by weeks, months, or years of recovery (called remissions). It can cause problems with vision, balance, muscle control, and other basic body functions. 

At the time of diagnosis, Tricia’s new insurance had only just been activated which meant they hadn’t yet met their deductibles. In addition, there was a data entry error made by the state when setting up their Medicaid account which was only discovered a year later thanks to endless phone calls and investigating by Tricia herself. Before the mistake was found, Tricia and Andrew had to pay out of pocket for the entire family’s medical bills and prescription medication. 

Due to the incredible strain on their finances, Tricia had to go back to work before her body was able to fully recover. Over the next five years, Tricia and Andrew often each worked more than one job at a time. They worked diligently to keep their heads above water.

Tricia suffered the worst relapse to date this past July, 2019. Her symptoms included double vision, vertigo, complete numbness from her toes to her breast bone, chronic pain, muscle spasms, short term memory loss and cognitive issues. Due to this relapse, Tricia was forced to quit working her two jobs, and Andrew had to leave his job at the goat dairy, Castle Rock in exchange for a job back in the kitchen so that he would be more available to help care for Tricia and their sweet daughters. The worst part of this particular relapse is what happened in terms of Tricia’s medical care.  The practitioner treating Tricia, mis/over-prescribed medication which led to her subsequent psychosis. The severe psychotic episode Tricia suffered during an already terrifically compromised physical state led to her being emergently hospitalized last month. The family was headed to Seattle to come up with a game plan and instead, Trish was taken to the hospital and separated from her daughters. Of course, this incident caused a great deal of emotional trauma to not only their immediate family, but to their extended family and close friends, as well. From a financial standpoint, this specific event forced Andrew to leave his job in Walla Walla much sooner than expected so that he could care for his wife and children. The need was so immediate, that he had to rely on friends and family to help him get their home in Walla Walla packed and ready to move their belongings across state. The decision to move back home to Vashon had been made previous to the hospitalization so that they’d be more supported, living near family and Tricia’s specialist. Unfortunately, the psychosis and subsequent hospitalization forced them to move immediately, without the planning required to make it feasible from a financial standpoint.

The progression of the illness continues to affect Tricia’s daily life and can be very unpredictable from day to day. She still struggles most days from overwhelming fatigue, brain fog, vision problems, vertigo, numbness, short-term memory loss, chronic pain and muscle spasms. It seems there hasn’t been a day since her diagnosis that Tricia hasn’t suffered from a few if not all of these symptoms.

This fundraising effort is an attempt to resolve all the outstanding medical debt and personal loans incurred as a result of these past struggles. We are asking for your support to help relieve Andrew and Tricia’s financial strain, thus allowing them the opportunity to focus on both their personal health, and their family's health. No amount is too small. We are so grateful for your love and support.