Jackie Tichawsky's Road to Recovery

Routine Hike Results in Severe Concussion and a Mountain of Medical Bills

This page is created on Jackie’s behalf (by Teresa and Chuck Reilly). Jackie's accident has resulted in over $12,000 in medical bills not covered by insurance. We expect another $3000-$5000 before the end of the year. Jackie has agreed to let us set up this GoFundMe on her behalf and is the sole beneficiary of this effort. All contributions will go directly to her to pay outstanding medical bills not covered by insurance. Her story and situation are compelling, and we hope you will consider contributing to her success.

So, who is Jackie T?

Jackie is an active 60-year-old, who enjoys skiing, biking, hiking and dog walks. She takes good care of her health and volunteers to help others. She is a wonderful neighbor and has become a great friend to us. Jackie has 2 loving dogs, Lotti and Leni (a trained therapy dog). Jackie and Leni are active volunteers in the Canine Airport Therapy Squad at the Denver International Airport. Everyone wants a neighbor like Jackie who mows the lawn for older neighbors, walks their dogs or brings their trash cans up from the curb. She is a beekeeper and graciously shares her honey with all. She’s a giver that has a hard time saying “no” to the needs of others. You all probably know someone just like her.

Jackie like many of us is fiercely independent, proud, and not the type to ask for help. She has a tremendous work ethic and would just as well gut it out and not ask for help. Jackie served as a ramp operations employee for 17 years at Lufthansa Airlines and the past year at Southwest. She accepted another position with another airline in December. It is a much better cultural fit than her most recent employer, and she likes the new airline team. Her new employer was gracious enough to allow her to take a week to join us at our winter home. We flew her out to enjoy some sun, relaxation, and sightseeing. She thoroughly enjoyed the first 4 days of her first-ever trip to Hawaii. The last part…not so much.

What Happened to Jackie

Jackie is hypoglycemic and wears a continuous glucose monitoring device. During the return leg of a routine hike with me and a few others, she passed out, fell on the trail, and hit her head on some lava rocks. It happened so suddenly she didn’t have an opportunity to break the fall with her hands or arms. Before the incident, her glucose monitor failed to register any change in her glucose level. The fall resulted in a severe concussion that produced migraine-level headaches, blurred vision, nausea, and an inability to mentally focus on even the most routine tasks. We delayed Jackie’s return per the ER physician for a few days. We wanted to get her home ASAP to be able to seek follow-up medical care in Denver. I accompanied Jackie on her return flight to Denver as she was unable unaccompanied. It was a stressful and challenging flight for her. Jackie stayed with me for a few weeks. I helped her with meals, accommodations, doctor’s visits, etc. until she could go home on her own. The good news is that after multiple CT scans, Jackie suffered no fractures to her face or bleeding on her brain.

A Mountain of Medical Bills

Unfortunately, Jackie was transitioning from COBRA healthcare coverage having left her former employer while waiting for her new healthcare coverage to begin with her new employer. The timing of her injury contributed to her reaching her max out-of-pocket on her old plan. She has also reached her max out-of-pocket with her new healthcare plan. Jackie also must now pay for a more advanced glucose monitoring system that runs $300-$350/month. Insurance doesn’t cover this device as she is not diabetic so it’s an annual and ongoing expense for her. Jackie’s out-of-pocket medical expenses now exceed $12,000 and are expected to grow another $3-$5K before the end of 2023.

After more than 5 weeks of recovering, returning to work is not yet possible. Her most recent physicians visit on 3/10 indicated that it could be another 6-7 weeks before she can return to work in a full-time capacity. She was just approved to return to work 2 days a week for 2 hours per day depending on her ability to manage. She is recovering from her symptoms, but things are not progressing as quickly as she needs. She must get back to self-sufficiency and most importantly back to work.

Jackie is still struggling with focus, and short-term memory, and becomes easily overwhelmed. Concussions are tricky. We have learned they can take weeks or months to heal. Everyone’s brain is different. She is appreciative of the neighbor's help with driving to medical appointments, meals, and errands and providing love and encouragement. Not surprisingly, she feels stressed and frustrated that she is not recovering from all her symptoms. She wants to go back to work and currently can’t. Jackie misses her work peers and her role. Her new employer has been supportive, and we hope they will continue to be.

Jackie has been without any income for more than a month. Because it is a new position, she does not have vacation or sick time to carry her forward. If she isn’t working, she is not being paid.

Go-Forward Plan

Jackie needs financial help with a growing mountain of out-of-pocket medical bills. Fortunately, her personal savings is allowing her to currently manage her daily living expenses and her rent. Even with savings and payment plans, she faces large medical bills that will take years to pay off.

We have set up this GoFundMe page with the goal of raising $12,000 to help offset Jackie’s medical bills. We have shared with her that sometimes things beyond our control happen, and we all need some help. This is one of those times. She is not the type to default and has a great sense of pride in being self-sufficient.

All contributions to this endeavor will go directly to medical expenses not covered by Jackie’s insurance. We encourage you to contribute to our friend in need.