Mama Shiflett Needs Our Help!

The mother of the Shiflett Brothers needs our help. Over the winter holidays, she had 3 seizures and a cardiac arrest in the ER and though she's doing well in an inpatient rehab facility - after a lengthy hospital stay - insurance covers only the first 20 days and she desperately needs more time in physical therapy and occupational therapy to help her get as much back to her normal life as possible.

Hi, my name is Amanda Fledermause (or Mandy as the family and anyone who loves me calls me) and I'm the life partner of Brandon Shiflett, one of the sculptor brothers of the Shiflett Brothers. www.shiflettbrothers.com

I am creating this gofundme today because Mama Shiflett - mother of dragons - er, I mean - mother of Shifletts - needs some help. More than I can give her and more than the Brothers Shiflett can give her. We're all artists and we know what is happening and has happened time immemorial to artists. Living check to check, no insurance, etc.

Mama Shiflett, aka Marilyn, has been a better mother to me in our 6+ years together than my own mother ever was. She has shown me compassion, encouragement, interest, love and at necessary times, tough love. I owe her a LOT and love her more than words can say, which is why I'm creating this gofundme. I wish I could do it all for her, but if wishes were fishes, etc.

I think pretty much anyone in Marilyn's sphere/bubble/friend circle would say the same. This is a woman who has been selfless her whole life, has had incredible achievements, and has love for anyone and everyone around her no matter what and she is now in need. I'm personally doing every thing I can financially and also visiting her daily, cooking for her, and anything else I can think of like visiting her dogs and making sure they are fed, too, but it's not a one person job and I couldn't possibly do it alone and don't.

Brandon, Jarrod, and their siblings - her beloved beyond words children - are all doing the same and much much MORE. So much more. No one is more devoted than they are. There is not a day they aren't with Mama Shiflett, there isn't a day they aren't bringing her food she might like to eat, there isn't a day they aren't holding her hand and telling her how much they love her, there isn't a day they don't make sure her life is intact and waiting for her to take up the reins again as she would want when she is ready, no matter what that entails and frankly - navigating these waters are endlessly confusing and hard. We know the new normal will be a bit different and probably hard, but we are detemined to make it the best possible normal we can because that is what she would do for us and anyone else.

Coming from the home I personally come from - I've never seen or experienced love and dedication like this to family and friends and perhaps I might envy it, except for the fact that the whole family shares it so easily with everyone. But - if you come down to it - truthfully after weeks and weeks - we are all stretched thin. Emotionally, physically, mentally, spiritually and financially.

What this gofundme would specifically be for is additional rehab time for Mama Shiflett. She's been in the hospital for over a month and now is approaching 3 weeks in rehab and insurance is failing to cover it and her rehab is slow. She's been through a hekk of a lot. In the last 5 years, she has endured breast cancer, a mastectomy, a heart valve replacement, 3 strokes, a seizure, the death of her beloved husband Tommy. And now she is enduring another 3 seizures and cardiac arrest. Despite that, she has nothing but love for all of us, a worry about her dogs (they are ok - dogs are first in this family) and a worry to not be too much trouble. She is no trouble at all!

But we ARE troubled! It's imperative that she gets as much rehab and rehabilitative care as she needs right now so she can get back on her feet (literally) and get back to her pups and spreading the love and motivation that she does to everyone around her.

Right now, insurance is not covering things and we are struggling hard to keep her in physical therapy and occupational therapy rehab which she so desperately needs. We need to keep her in rehab and getting mentally and physically stronger for 30 -35 more days. Insurance covered the first three weeks but that insurance runs out on Sunday, Feb 4.

If you love the Shiflett Brothers, if you love their art, this is their MOM. She is the kindest and strongest woman I have ever had the privilege of knowing. And honestly I have no idea why she loves me, but she does... and I just want/need her to be ok. As do the Shiflett Brothers and the rest of her family, so we're appealing to you.

I will probably let them read this before I post it, but right now they don't know I'm starting the gofundme. No one deserves it more than Mama Shiflett - if only for raising two of the most astounding sculptors in several decades, but also because she has love and time for everyone and anyone and is a very special human in her own right. We need more Mama Shifletts and this one needs help.

Every single cent donated would go directly to paying for her medical and rehab costs.

Please donate anything you can. Nothing is too little and every single thing is appreciated. And if you can't donate money - any positivity you can put out into the universe on her behalf will be just as much appreciated.

Thank you guys so much for reading this and for your time. I know everyone is struggling right now. Life is just rough all around. If we can just help each other out, though - we'll all make it.

Lots of love and positive energy.

XoX Mandy