Help Karen Cheah recover from a stroke
Donation protected
Our Mom had a stroke in December and is currently in post-stroke rehabilitation. She needs continued care but we’re unable to pay for it. We are overwhelmed with insurance co-pays and medical bills, with no end in sight. We need your help!
What happened
On December 3rd, 2019, our father Roy came home from work, greeted his wife with a kiss and started doing the dishes. A few moments later he heard the sound of something falling. He ran upstairs to find our mother Karen looking confused and trying to get up off the floor. He tried to help her up but she had gone limp. He immediately called 911, telling them that his wife was having a seizure. The EMTs determined that she had a stroke and they rushed her to the ER at Sutter Hospital in Vallejo.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Doctors in the ER delivered an intravenous anticoagulant to try and clear the clot in her brain. But her case was more severe than usual. She would need to be flown by helicopter to Eden Medical Center for a thrombectomy. She was intubated and placed into a medically induced coma.
The initial diagnosis was that Karen had a massive stroke. She would likely suffer paralysis to the right side of her body, and would not regain much of her reasoning capabilities or even her ability to speak. This news was absolutely devastating to our family. Through tears, our father immediately requested a second opinion, which ended up saving Karen a second time.
It turned out she had an ischemic stroke of lesser degree and did not have a massive stroke as previously thought. With recoveries though, it always seems to be two steps forward and one step back. Karen’s second prognosis was much better and we were ecstatic. However, this joy was cut short by a potentially fatal infection that was worsening her condition by the day. Despite the quick action by Roy and the healthcare providers, Karen’s diagnosis was still poor. There were several nights we weren't sure she would make it through.
After multiple antibiotic treatments, things started looking better. The doctors gave us hope that she might be able to regain her speech, but they were unsure of the quality of life she would have. When she was taken out of the coma, for the first two months she still couldn't fully breathe on her own and was breathing through a stoma in her neck. It has since been taken out and she is able to breathe normally.
Karen’s Path to Wellness
Karen has been fighting harder than anyone could have possibly imagined. After six months of speech and physical therapy, she is able to form sentence fragments. She can now move the hand on the side of her body they thought would be permanently paralyzed.
Since we are in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, no one in the family has been able to visit Karen since February. It has been heartbreaking for her and everyone in the family. Despite the circumstances, she continues to work towards recovery and we face-time her every day so that she can continue to hear and practice communication with familiar faces.
As a family we are not prepared for medical expenses like this. Our Dad is a retired electrician, living on a fixed income through his pension. I have been furloughed since March due to the effects of Covid-19, along with my sisters Megan and Annie, who have also been out of work during the pandemic.
Who She Is
In her career, Karen was a practicing neonatal nurse caring for premature babies in the ICU prior to her retirement. Throughout her life, Karen has helped many children to thrive despite them being born prematurely. Now is the time for us to advocate for her.
In her personal life, she has raised three children and has always put the needs of others before her own. Being in a military family, she grew up in Pennsylvania, Maryland, WA, and Long Island, NY. Her father, William Evans was a scientist and warplane gunner in the US Navy. The oldest daughter in her family, she helped her mother, Ann, raise her four siblings.
Mom has always been a tremendous force in our family and her community. We are incredibly blessed to have her in our life. Anyone who knows her knows she is loving, sharp-witted, kind, and funny as hell.
How You Can Help
Bills are starting to pile up and some of them are almost past due. Our campaign goal of $19,000 will be used to help pay the out-of-pocket costs from the initial medical bills, and for ongoing costs for Karen’s recovery. We don’t know how long the road to recovery is, but we hope to raise six months worth of funds. Without help, we are not sure how long she will be able to continue receiving the post-stroke therapies that she needs to have a chance at normal life.
$7,136: Initial medical bills – MedFlight, Vallejo ER, and Eden Medical Center
$11,502: Speech and physical therapy for 6 months – Kentfield Hospital, Kentfield, CA
Thank You
Thank you for listening to our family’s story. We appreciate any help or contribution, no matter how big or small! Any amount helps.
If you’re unable to help out financially, you can help by sharing our campaign link on social media (Facebook, Instagram, etc.) with your friends. We will keep you updated on Karen’s progress and on the use of campaign funds.
We are tremendously appreciative of the kindness everyone has shown us during this impossibly difficult time.
-The Cheah family
What happened
On December 3rd, 2019, our father Roy came home from work, greeted his wife with a kiss and started doing the dishes. A few moments later he heard the sound of something falling. He ran upstairs to find our mother Karen looking confused and trying to get up off the floor. He tried to help her up but she had gone limp. He immediately called 911, telling them that his wife was having a seizure. The EMTs determined that she had a stroke and they rushed her to the ER at Sutter Hospital in Vallejo.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Doctors in the ER delivered an intravenous anticoagulant to try and clear the clot in her brain. But her case was more severe than usual. She would need to be flown by helicopter to Eden Medical Center for a thrombectomy. She was intubated and placed into a medically induced coma.
The initial diagnosis was that Karen had a massive stroke. She would likely suffer paralysis to the right side of her body, and would not regain much of her reasoning capabilities or even her ability to speak. This news was absolutely devastating to our family. Through tears, our father immediately requested a second opinion, which ended up saving Karen a second time.
It turned out she had an ischemic stroke of lesser degree and did not have a massive stroke as previously thought. With recoveries though, it always seems to be two steps forward and one step back. Karen’s second prognosis was much better and we were ecstatic. However, this joy was cut short by a potentially fatal infection that was worsening her condition by the day. Despite the quick action by Roy and the healthcare providers, Karen’s diagnosis was still poor. There were several nights we weren't sure she would make it through.
After multiple antibiotic treatments, things started looking better. The doctors gave us hope that she might be able to regain her speech, but they were unsure of the quality of life she would have. When she was taken out of the coma, for the first two months she still couldn't fully breathe on her own and was breathing through a stoma in her neck. It has since been taken out and she is able to breathe normally.
Karen’s Path to Wellness
Karen has been fighting harder than anyone could have possibly imagined. After six months of speech and physical therapy, she is able to form sentence fragments. She can now move the hand on the side of her body they thought would be permanently paralyzed.
Since we are in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, no one in the family has been able to visit Karen since February. It has been heartbreaking for her and everyone in the family. Despite the circumstances, she continues to work towards recovery and we face-time her every day so that she can continue to hear and practice communication with familiar faces.
As a family we are not prepared for medical expenses like this. Our Dad is a retired electrician, living on a fixed income through his pension. I have been furloughed since March due to the effects of Covid-19, along with my sisters Megan and Annie, who have also been out of work during the pandemic.
Who She Is
In her career, Karen was a practicing neonatal nurse caring for premature babies in the ICU prior to her retirement. Throughout her life, Karen has helped many children to thrive despite them being born prematurely. Now is the time for us to advocate for her.
In her personal life, she has raised three children and has always put the needs of others before her own. Being in a military family, she grew up in Pennsylvania, Maryland, WA, and Long Island, NY. Her father, William Evans was a scientist and warplane gunner in the US Navy. The oldest daughter in her family, she helped her mother, Ann, raise her four siblings.
Mom has always been a tremendous force in our family and her community. We are incredibly blessed to have her in our life. Anyone who knows her knows she is loving, sharp-witted, kind, and funny as hell.
How You Can Help
Bills are starting to pile up and some of them are almost past due. Our campaign goal of $19,000 will be used to help pay the out-of-pocket costs from the initial medical bills, and for ongoing costs for Karen’s recovery. We don’t know how long the road to recovery is, but we hope to raise six months worth of funds. Without help, we are not sure how long she will be able to continue receiving the post-stroke therapies that she needs to have a chance at normal life.
$7,136: Initial medical bills – MedFlight, Vallejo ER, and Eden Medical Center
$11,502: Speech and physical therapy for 6 months – Kentfield Hospital, Kentfield, CA
Thank You
Thank you for listening to our family’s story. We appreciate any help or contribution, no matter how big or small! Any amount helps.
If you’re unable to help out financially, you can help by sharing our campaign link on social media (Facebook, Instagram, etc.) with your friends. We will keep you updated on Karen’s progress and on the use of campaign funds.
We are tremendously appreciative of the kindness everyone has shown us during this impossibly difficult time.
-The Cheah family
Fundraising team (2)
has not reviewed or approved this fundraiser.
Robbie Cheah
Organizer
San Francisco, CA
Karen Cheah
Beneficiary
Megan Cheah
Team member