Help With Remaining Medical Bills & Handicap Van

LONG STORY AHEAD!

THIS GOFUNDME IS A CONTINUATION OF A PREVIOUS GOFUNDME

** I AM NO LONGER ABLE TO ACCESS THE EMAIL ACCOUNT ASSOCIATED WITH THAT FUNDRAISER (It was via a domain name I did not renew and not my regular Gmail, which I'm using now). THEREFORE, I CAN NOT EDIT THE SETTINGS. PLEASE DO NOT DONATE THERE, AS CAUSES/PROBLEMS HAVE CHANGED. **

** I AM STATING THIS HERE, SO THERE IS NO CONFUSION AND COMPLETE TRANSPARENCY - I WILL LEAVE IT UP FOR THOSE REASONS **

Below you will find the original information from that GoFundMe AS WELL as pictures from the incidents and my conditions; things have changed, including a massive need for a new handicap-accessible vehicle.

...my handicap-accessible vehicle has finally seen its last days.

I had a 2006 Chrysler Town & Country with a handicap conversion. Now that it is gone, I need a new vehicle for reliable transportation. My doctors are located all over the state; I need to be able to travel as well as locally to doctors. Without a handicap van, I am stuck at home altogether. I am unable to get in a normal vehicle. The cost of an accessible van, even a used one, is around $30,000, with a new one costing upwards of $80,000. It's insane. The cost of just converting a mini-van is $25,000+. Due to all my past medical bills, I do not have a credit score that is good enough to secure a vehicle loan, nor do I have the income to make regular payments. I'm looking to you, family, friends & strangers to help or share my story to ensure my independence and safety in an accessible vehicle. Without this vehicle, I couldn't even get a job, make it to doctors' appointments and new specialists (as I have ones out of state...), and I wouldn't be able to do anything at all. It's crazy how much a handicap van costs, and I genuinely wish it wasn't so much.

This fundraiser will go towards this new vehicle, remaining medical bills, some day-to-day living costs and medical equipment need [co-pays] (such as a new oxygen concentrator and new patient transfer lift.)

I will include images of my seizure injuries, bills, and medical summaries at the bottom of this post.

Please note that ALL FUNDS for this fundraiser will go towards everyday expenses, continuing medical treatment, remaining bills & overall towards purchasing a HANDICAP-ACCESSIBLE VAN.

I appreciate/need your help, but I understand if you don't want to! You're free to leave this fundraiser and move on; totally cool! I will not tolerate the threats, harassment, and bullying I continue to get. If that is your goal, please do not waste either of our time and just ignore this if you disagree.

Below is the original GoFundMe information with the new issues of a handicap-accessible van.

I TRULY APPRECIATE your help. :)

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Hi, my name is Sean Smith.

I was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, which is a fragile bone disorder. I’ve had hundreds of bone fractures since I was around two weeks old, and I have struggled with tasks like getting dressed, getting in and out of bed, toiletries, bathing, and traveling...it is a physically and emotionally draining life.

I also survived years of depression throughout high school due to bullying and such humiliating treatment that has carried into my adulthood. I was diagnosed with scoliosis, asthma, sleep apnea, restrictive lung disease and epilepsy throughout my life. The epilepsy diagnosis is where this story begins.

I was 27; I had just hit a positive stride in life. I was in better shape, working part-time, living with my partner, and working every day to be a better me. I had gained some independence, was emotionally more vital, and then in one second, everything fell apart.

In March of 2017, I suffered my first seizure. I had come home from a typical day when I suddenly woke up in the emergency room of Sparrow Hospital with no memory of how I got there; all I knew was I had two broken bones, and my family was around me in tears. I had a massive seizure that made my heart stop. I was revived after being in complete cardiac/respiratory arrest. As I lay there, my head was hazy; I slipped in and out of consciousness while writhing in pain, and then…I woke again with a tube down my throat and a large cast on my left arm. I had a second seizure in the ER, and it caused my left radius and ulna to shatter. I again went into cardiac arrest for 8 minutes, was revived, then transported to the University of Michigan to have reconstructive surgery on my arm.

I was heavily sedated and on life support for weeks, barely comprehending what was happening around me. During all this, I was uninsured and nearly broke with no hope. The tube finally came out, and it was explained to me I had epilepsy, and there was yet to be a cause found.

After about a month, I was released home, returning to my parents to be monitored 24/7. I lay in a reclining wheelchair, my arm in a cast, and other “clean” broken bones trying to heal. I lost my independence and struggled mentally with a dark feeling of depression; it was Hell.

In the summer, I went back to U of M to get the cast removed, and when my arm was freed, I realized I’d lost what I was told is 90 percent motor function in my left hand. I couldn’t bend my fingers or my wrist, leaving me with a sense of incredible fear. I underwent many tests, MRIs, and CT scans, all with inconclusive results. I was already disabled but now what little independence I had was gone. I couldn’t even push my wheelchair; I felt useless. It continued on that way, and I have never gained full function in my hand.

Throughout 2017, I was fighting with insurance; having gotten Medicaid only around December of 2017, I was fighting hundreds of thousands in bills and trying to obtain retroactive coverage. It was a nightmare, but they did cover some, nowhere near the $100,000+ bill from the surgery/initial hospital stay.

But...

Then on February 5th, 2018, I went into the hospital via an ambulance after having a petite gran mal seizure caused by influenza A. I was admitted with a severe blood Co2 level and was kept on watch due to the flu and neurological problems. That night, at 2:04 in the morning, I went into complete cardiac and respiratory arrest again. My family had been pulled away and were told I had no pulse, and the nurse wasn't hopeful. According to my paperwork, I was without a heartbeat for 8 minutes. So much time that it's a miracle I woke up with full cognitive function.

I woke up two days later with another breathing tube. I had multiple bone fractures as well and was being kept sedated by propofol with heavy pain medication. Doctors worked hard to figure out what, if anything, could bring me back to normal.

Cut to weeks later, I was off life support and breathing on my own and returned home.

Now - it's 2022, and life is hard. I have never been able to find employment since the pandemic hit, especially. It wasn't until this year that I was even approved for social security, which is nowhere near enough for living. I've had help from so many people to pay off most of the $100k+ initial bills and continuing costs via other GoFundMe (which I can't access due to email access.) I need help with several things, including day-to-day support right now, but more importantly

PLEASE share this on your social media and help get this fully funded.