Making up lost wages after a string of hospitalizations...

Hi, I'm Nathan and I'm fundraising because Amanda, the love of my life and wife of nearly 20 years has been in and out of the hospital since July 11th. She's now facing her second major abdominal surgery, and we don't know how we're going to make it out of this financially.

When Amanda was a teenager, she had her first major encounter with hospitals. After months of being told her severe abdominal pain was 'just her period,' an exploratory surgery found lengths of dead intestine. I sat in the waiting room with her family as one hour turned into 18 hours.

She had Crohn's.

She's done her best to manage it through our years together. Most of this time, we've been uninsured, but she's eaten right, exercised, and done everything she's known how to manage her flares.

Then there was July, and the unending pain. She was unable to function or eat well, and the usual fixes weren't helping. Once in the emergency room, the reason was clear; a fistula from Amanda's intestines to her abdomen formed.

The doctors tried treating her conservatively with antibiotic after antibiotic. They took cultures, to make sure they were treating the right organism. Amanda has spent more time in the hospital these last 7 weeks than in our first home together.

Then, she was transferred to another hospital for the surgery the doctors assured us she wouldn't need, and we're being told she'll need to go on a biologic for her Crohn's afterwards, which our insurance doesn't cover.

We've lost $2700 in wages alone - more than double the cost of one of our mortgage payments.

We have no idea how bad the hospital bill is going to be.

Any donation or sharing is greatly appreciated. I'll be sure to update as often as possible.