Help Gina Walk!
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HELP GINA WALK! (& Teach Again)
Hello. My name is Leigh Matthewson, and Gina White is my daughter who lives in Aurora, Colorado. I’m reaching out to you because Gina is going to have very serious open back surgery on June 7, and I wanted to share her story with you. The recovery period for the surgery will likely be 6 months. She will not be able to work during this time, and thus will have no income. Her husband, Paul, is disabled due to a job injury and suffers from Congestive Heart Failure. He receives a disability allotment, but this allotment will not even begin to cover their monthly expense. I’ve established this GoFundMe campaign to raise $18,000 to cover monthly living expenses (such as housing, utilities, transportation, etc.) for the 6 months while Gina is unable to work
Gina has spondylolisthesis and has been in chronic, debilitating pain for decades. (Additionally she has stents in her heart due to a heart attack in 2011.) Gina works as a Guest Teacher, and despite her struggle, Gina has continued to teach to support her family, even doing physical labor at a second job for two years. In the last few months, Gina’s condition has greatly worsened. She has strived to continue to teach each day until school closes May 23. Aurora Public Schools/Kelly Services provides no benefits, paid sick leave or vacation, nor pay during the summer months.
Spondylolisthesis is the word that spine surgeons use to describe the displacement of one vertebra on top of another. This confusing word is pronounced “spon-dih-low-lis-thee-sis”. The most common cause is a problem in the area of what is called the facet joint in the spine known as the “pars”. Over time if not treated, slippage occurs and becomes spondylolisthesis. Genetics predisposes people to the initial pars defect and it is believed that this is the cause of Gina’s condition.
Spondylolisthesis is measured in grades (degrees) of slippage. There are 4 grades, each representing 25% slippage each. Gina has grade 4 slippage which is the worst. She will be having two separate surgeries simultaneously performed by two neurosurgeons at Denver Health, Denver, Colorado. One of the neurosurgeons said that Gina’s spine is “out of textbook – never seen anything like it in her career”. The surgeons feel confident that the surgeries will have a positive outcome that will improve Gina’s quality of life, although all pain cannot be eliminated completely. She will have a 10 inch open back incision instead of a two inch incision to reach the defect at the bottom of her spine where the nerve bundle is located – this is quite unusual. The two surgeries are:
1. Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion
http://www.precisionneurosurgery.com.au/services/neurosurgery-and-spinal-surgery-services/treatments/transforaminal-lumbar-interbody-fusion-(tlif)
This surgery (TLIF) is a contemporary approach to spinal fusion surgery. It is an operation performed on the lower back to remove an intervertebral disc and join two or more spinal bones (vertebrae) together using screws and a cage.
2. Lumbar Laminectomy & Rhizolysis
http://www.precisionneurosurgery.com.au/services/neurosurgery-and-spinal-surgery
This surgery is also an operation on the spine in the lower back. Its purpose is to remove bone to relieve pressure on the nerve roots that leave the spine and run down to form the nerves in the legs.
Surgery is usually recommended when all reasonable conservative measures have failed. Gina has all the symptoms of spondylolisthesis: excruciating lower back pain 24-7 that cannot be relieved, pain radiating down the back of both legs, numbness, some loss of bladder control, severe mobility issues forcing use of a cane, and to the extent that some days she is absolutely unable to walk at all. A day in her life looks like this: On work days, Gina fights to get up and go to work, when at all possible, stays seated while teaching, collapses in pain at the end of the day, walks hunched over in pain going from bed to bathroom, tosses and turns all night in pain, only to have to get up and do it all over again the next day. On weekends, she’s mostly confined to bed trying to conserve energy to continue her work pace. If her condition is not treated now, it could result in the complete loss of both bladder/rectal control and paralysis of her lower body.
Now we need your help and prayers. Gina is a woman of faith and believes the Lord can and will provide. And I know he can provide through the compassion of his people. If you could support this GoFundMe by making a donation and sharing with your network, and praying for Gina, her family and I will be grateful and blessed. I know that money can be tight, so please know that a donation of any amount will help relieve some of the financial stress and get us closer to the goal of funding Gina’s living expenses for 6 months while she recovers from these two serious open back surgeries so she can walk again. We pray as you give in faith, you’ll also be blessed (Luke 6:38).
From Gina’s loving family - thank you for caring and praying, and “Helping Gina to Walk & Teach Again - and regain her life, joy, and happiness.”
Hello. My name is Leigh Matthewson, and Gina White is my daughter who lives in Aurora, Colorado. I’m reaching out to you because Gina is going to have very serious open back surgery on June 7, and I wanted to share her story with you. The recovery period for the surgery will likely be 6 months. She will not be able to work during this time, and thus will have no income. Her husband, Paul, is disabled due to a job injury and suffers from Congestive Heart Failure. He receives a disability allotment, but this allotment will not even begin to cover their monthly expense. I’ve established this GoFundMe campaign to raise $18,000 to cover monthly living expenses (such as housing, utilities, transportation, etc.) for the 6 months while Gina is unable to work
Gina has spondylolisthesis and has been in chronic, debilitating pain for decades. (Additionally she has stents in her heart due to a heart attack in 2011.) Gina works as a Guest Teacher, and despite her struggle, Gina has continued to teach to support her family, even doing physical labor at a second job for two years. In the last few months, Gina’s condition has greatly worsened. She has strived to continue to teach each day until school closes May 23. Aurora Public Schools/Kelly Services provides no benefits, paid sick leave or vacation, nor pay during the summer months.
Spondylolisthesis is the word that spine surgeons use to describe the displacement of one vertebra on top of another. This confusing word is pronounced “spon-dih-low-lis-thee-sis”. The most common cause is a problem in the area of what is called the facet joint in the spine known as the “pars”. Over time if not treated, slippage occurs and becomes spondylolisthesis. Genetics predisposes people to the initial pars defect and it is believed that this is the cause of Gina’s condition.
Spondylolisthesis is measured in grades (degrees) of slippage. There are 4 grades, each representing 25% slippage each. Gina has grade 4 slippage which is the worst. She will be having two separate surgeries simultaneously performed by two neurosurgeons at Denver Health, Denver, Colorado. One of the neurosurgeons said that Gina’s spine is “out of textbook – never seen anything like it in her career”. The surgeons feel confident that the surgeries will have a positive outcome that will improve Gina’s quality of life, although all pain cannot be eliminated completely. She will have a 10 inch open back incision instead of a two inch incision to reach the defect at the bottom of her spine where the nerve bundle is located – this is quite unusual. The two surgeries are:
1. Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion
http://www.precisionneurosurgery.com.au/services/neurosurgery-and-spinal-surgery-services/treatments/transforaminal-lumbar-interbody-fusion-(tlif)
This surgery (TLIF) is a contemporary approach to spinal fusion surgery. It is an operation performed on the lower back to remove an intervertebral disc and join two or more spinal bones (vertebrae) together using screws and a cage.
2. Lumbar Laminectomy & Rhizolysis
http://www.precisionneurosurgery.com.au/services/neurosurgery-and-spinal-surgery
This surgery is also an operation on the spine in the lower back. Its purpose is to remove bone to relieve pressure on the nerve roots that leave the spine and run down to form the nerves in the legs.
Surgery is usually recommended when all reasonable conservative measures have failed. Gina has all the symptoms of spondylolisthesis: excruciating lower back pain 24-7 that cannot be relieved, pain radiating down the back of both legs, numbness, some loss of bladder control, severe mobility issues forcing use of a cane, and to the extent that some days she is absolutely unable to walk at all. A day in her life looks like this: On work days, Gina fights to get up and go to work, when at all possible, stays seated while teaching, collapses in pain at the end of the day, walks hunched over in pain going from bed to bathroom, tosses and turns all night in pain, only to have to get up and do it all over again the next day. On weekends, she’s mostly confined to bed trying to conserve energy to continue her work pace. If her condition is not treated now, it could result in the complete loss of both bladder/rectal control and paralysis of her lower body.
Now we need your help and prayers. Gina is a woman of faith and believes the Lord can and will provide. And I know he can provide through the compassion of his people. If you could support this GoFundMe by making a donation and sharing with your network, and praying for Gina, her family and I will be grateful and blessed. I know that money can be tight, so please know that a donation of any amount will help relieve some of the financial stress and get us closer to the goal of funding Gina’s living expenses for 6 months while she recovers from these two serious open back surgeries so she can walk again. We pray as you give in faith, you’ll also be blessed (Luke 6:38).
From Gina’s loving family - thank you for caring and praying, and “Helping Gina to Walk & Teach Again - and regain her life, joy, and happiness.”
Organizer
Leigh Matthewson
Organizer
Las Cruces, NM