Help Whitney get back to helping kids!

Hey! Many of you know our good friend/niece/goddaughter Whitney who came here from Haiti after being severely injured in the earthquake right? She's now a NURSE (as she calls herself "the half bionic lady") and needs some help in order to have badly needed surgery to restore better function and be able to continue her work in pediatrics. Here's the story:

(Note: This story--including all the details we've included-- is told with Whitney’'s permission and as much as possible using the words she uses to describe her experience.).

At the age of 16, Whitney was home with her family when the 2010 earthquake hit Haiti. She was trapped in a multi-story building and assumed dead. Her aunt died immediately but her baby brother suffocated for approximately ten minutes before dying. They both --along with other tenants --decomposed on top of Whitney for six days until Whitney (as well as the family's housekeeper/helper who was also trapped but survived) was found by a rescue team. Both of Whitney’s legs were crushed. She was taken to a makeshift hospital in Haiti had and bilateral leg amputations.

The next two months proved to be hard on the family. Whitney had a bone infection that delayed her healing and would cause her to be constantly brought back to the operating room. After trying everything they could and failing, the doctors decided to request refugee status for Whitney and her family so she can receive better care. Through a series of random connections and generous people, Whitney was able to come to the US. She spent months recuperating from her injuries and working SO very hard at physical therapy. Because of her tenacity and courage, she never gave up. She learned English through television (Spongebob Squarepants to be specific), was able to finish high school and went on to Nursing school where she graduated with honors (she received a special award for “consistently demonstrating caring and compassion.”).

Yup! That's Whitney.

After receiving her Associate’s, Whitney worked full time as a long-term care/ambulatory care nurse while continuing her education. But for the last year and a half she's really been struggling with her physical capacity. One of her amputation sites has been affecting her quality of life for some time now and she needs a revision. This means she needs another amputation that is higher up. She has multiple neuromas that not only cause her a lot of pain but make it almost impossible to wear her prosthesis for a long shift. All of this means that she had to cut back on her hours and look for a more accommodating job. Now she is doing less physically demanding pediatric work..

Whitney is having her surgery in October. She pays 500 bucks a month out of pocket for the plan but it still doesn't cover all the surgery costs (Argh this country!!). Although her insurance is paying for the amputation, her surgical team is calling in a special surgeon to remove the neuromas and the excess skin removed. He does not take her insurance. Originally they wanted $17,000 but with a lot of letter writing, he agreed to charge “only” $7,500. Not to mention that she will have a long road to recovery before she can return to work.

Whitney loves her work as a pediatric nurse and she's awesome at it. And you know New York needs ALL the awesome trilingual nurses right now! So if you've got the means, can you help her get back to it?

Thanks

Whitney, Leah and Kelli