Martha for her medical needs

Most everyone knows me, I am Brenda Sturges, and Martha McKelvy and I have been best friends for 45 years. The last several years have not been good to Martha. Seen has major orthopedic issues as her knees are now bone on bone and she is in constant extreme pain. Three or four years ago she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and she can no long write. Also, five years ago Martha’s trachea collapsed and she has a permanent tracheostomy. On November 22, 2023 Martha entered Methodist Germantown Hospital with pseudomonas in her trach, pneumonia, MRSA, and sepsis. She was in CV ICU on levophed for a week before her BP stabilized. She then went to the stepdown floor and they let her lay in bed for two weeks, telling her it was too much trouble to get her up. Even though physical therapy was ordered, PT only saw her once or twice a week. She then went to a long term care facility that we were told would provide more and better PT. Well, they didn’t. Not only that, she was turning over in bed and the nurse came in the room and decided she was trying to get out of bed so they tied her down. I was not there to witness this or to know about this because I had to continue our planned move to Alabama so I was 400 miles from Memphis.

She has now made it to Alabama and is in a good facility just 20 miles from me and is receiving excellent care. However, Medicare says she can stay in the facility for 9 more days and she then becomes private pay. Her social security and hospital pension is about $4000, leaving her $3000 short. She has to show that she has paid a facility $33,000 before she can apply for Alabama Medicaid to cover the rest of her monthly bill.

I know that that is an unreasonable goal. Her friends and family are just like Martha, you are either retired or you work just to make a living. However, any amount will be greatly appreciated.

Martha and I are both on Facebook. She has trouble typing but I will try to give you status updates on both Facebook pages.

Thank you seems very inadequate. You all know Martha, she gave away every penny she had to help others. Thanks again and may God bless you everyone.

Love to all, Brenda