Medical and Rehab Expenses for Amy Reid-Andrews
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My name is Peirce Andrews. I am a U.S. Navy Disabled Veteran and I would like to describe to you the details surrounding the insidious disease that completely debilitated my loving wife Amy in a total of 6 days.
The Background: Imagine for a moment, if you will, the following timeline of events occurring in your or your spouse’s life.
Day 0: Halloween 2020. Passing out Halloween candy, fully functional, zero issues (to legs, arms, or head).
Day 1: Legs collapsed (twice) without warning and fell to the ground. Amy was taken to the Deer Valley Hospital Emergency Department by ambulance.
Day 2: Paralysis has set in on both legs.
Day 4: Unable to effectively use arms. All fine motor skills and dexterity are gone. Amy is effectively a quadriplegic at this point.
Day 6: Beginning signs of cognitive deficits are present.
Day 11: Significant cognitive deficits realized, paralysis of both arms and legs continue. It was not until the 11th Day that an accurate diagnosis was made in the form of Guillain-Barré Syndrome or GBS.
Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is a rare, autoimmune disorder (affecting only about 1 in 100,000 people) in which a person’s own immune system attacks and damages the nerves and nervous system, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis. GBS can cause symptoms that last for a few weeks to several years. Most people recover fully, but some have permanent nerve damage or have even died of GBS.
Days 12 – 16: 5 days of treatment known as high-dose IV Immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy were endured.
Days 17 – 23: 7 days of aligning diagnosis with an appropriate rehabilitation center, insurance pre-certification, receiving facility approval, and finally transfer to the appropriate rehabilitation center.
Day 24: Relevant medical assistance is realized in the form of Amy getting transferred to Barrow Neurological Institute.
Day 27: An EMG test or nerve conduction test was performed and revealed extensive nerve damage to all four extremities.
Day 28: Swallow test failed. A duo tube was placed in Amy's nose for nutrition. Miller-Fisher Syndrome was diagnosed. A more long-term nutrition method will be placed in the future if Amy’s swallowing ability does not return. A hemodialysis catheter was surgically placed in Amy's neck in advance of the plasmapheresis treatment.
Days 31 – 37: 5 days of additional treatment known as plasmapheresis therapy were endured. No real improvement has been identified as to cognitive deficits, throat muscles, arms, or legs to date.
Days 38 – 45: Surgical site options relative to the long-term feeding tube were considered by Amy’s physician team and Interventional Radiology team.
Day 46: A G-Tube (similar to a Peg Tube) was deemed necessary (and surgically placed) for nutrition as Amy’s swallowing ability has not returned as of yet. Day 1 of receiving all nutrition and medications through the feeding tube (G-Tube).
Day 48: Amy was transferred to Cobalt Rehabilitation Hospital for intensive physical, occupational, and speech therapies to occur 3 hours per day, Monday thru Friday.
Days 51 – 57: Amy was evaluated by the physical, occupation, and speech therapists to determine a therapy plan for each specialty. Amy participates in her daily therapy sessions. Amy was fitted for a custom-made manual wheelchair
Day 58: The G-Tube was both leaking at the stoma (exit point of the body) and was clogged. Amy was emergently transferred to the St. Joseph’s Hospital to be evaluated and have the G-Tube surgically replaced. COVID-19 swab test administered.
Days 59 - 66 or January 5, 2021: Amy's is POSITIVE for COVID-19. With that test result, transferring out of St. Joseph's Hospital and into an Acute Rehabilitation Center is now extremely challenging and highly improbable. For now, Amy is waiting to be re-tested after 10 days in hopes of obtaining a NEGATIVE test result.
Given all of the treatment and therapy to date, the doctors simply do not know if or when Amy will regain any of her dexterity or functionality. The 2 FDA-Approved treatments (IVIG Therapy and Plasmapheresis) have been successfully administered and we all will just have to wait and see if Amy's body responds positively.
There are so many unknowns for Amy's future right now, and all of them come with significant expenses. Although Amy has health insurance, it will not cover all of her bills for 2 lengthy hospital stays, multiple surgeries, 2 extremely expensive treatments, durable medical equipment costs for a long-term wheelchair, current costs for the acute rehabilitation hospital, and future skilled & non-skilled nursing home care costs. Additionally, residence modifications for wheelchair accessibility will also prove to be very costly in the future. Would you consider donating to this fund so my family and I do not have to bear the brunt of the medical care and rehabilitation costs?
I am aiming to raise an initial $100,000 for current / known expenses to date.
If you happen to be a religious person, please pray for a miracle for Amy. I am hopeful that God will indeed provide Amy that miracle because he loves to heal people against all odds. So please pray for a full recovery for Amy while you are consider contributing to my family's practical and financial needs.
Thank you for your heart-felt consideration.
Respectfully,
Peirce Andrews
To learn more about GBS, please click here .
The Background: Imagine for a moment, if you will, the following timeline of events occurring in your or your spouse’s life.
Day 0: Halloween 2020. Passing out Halloween candy, fully functional, zero issues (to legs, arms, or head).
Day 1: Legs collapsed (twice) without warning and fell to the ground. Amy was taken to the Deer Valley Hospital Emergency Department by ambulance.
Day 2: Paralysis has set in on both legs.
Day 4: Unable to effectively use arms. All fine motor skills and dexterity are gone. Amy is effectively a quadriplegic at this point.
Day 6: Beginning signs of cognitive deficits are present.
Day 11: Significant cognitive deficits realized, paralysis of both arms and legs continue. It was not until the 11th Day that an accurate diagnosis was made in the form of Guillain-Barré Syndrome or GBS.
Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is a rare, autoimmune disorder (affecting only about 1 in 100,000 people) in which a person’s own immune system attacks and damages the nerves and nervous system, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis. GBS can cause symptoms that last for a few weeks to several years. Most people recover fully, but some have permanent nerve damage or have even died of GBS.
Days 12 – 16: 5 days of treatment known as high-dose IV Immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy were endured.
Days 17 – 23: 7 days of aligning diagnosis with an appropriate rehabilitation center, insurance pre-certification, receiving facility approval, and finally transfer to the appropriate rehabilitation center.
Day 24: Relevant medical assistance is realized in the form of Amy getting transferred to Barrow Neurological Institute.
Day 27: An EMG test or nerve conduction test was performed and revealed extensive nerve damage to all four extremities.
Day 28: Swallow test failed. A duo tube was placed in Amy's nose for nutrition. Miller-Fisher Syndrome was diagnosed. A more long-term nutrition method will be placed in the future if Amy’s swallowing ability does not return. A hemodialysis catheter was surgically placed in Amy's neck in advance of the plasmapheresis treatment.
Days 31 – 37: 5 days of additional treatment known as plasmapheresis therapy were endured. No real improvement has been identified as to cognitive deficits, throat muscles, arms, or legs to date.
Days 38 – 45: Surgical site options relative to the long-term feeding tube were considered by Amy’s physician team and Interventional Radiology team.
Day 46: A G-Tube (similar to a Peg Tube) was deemed necessary (and surgically placed) for nutrition as Amy’s swallowing ability has not returned as of yet. Day 1 of receiving all nutrition and medications through the feeding tube (G-Tube).
Day 48: Amy was transferred to Cobalt Rehabilitation Hospital for intensive physical, occupational, and speech therapies to occur 3 hours per day, Monday thru Friday.
Days 51 – 57: Amy was evaluated by the physical, occupation, and speech therapists to determine a therapy plan for each specialty. Amy participates in her daily therapy sessions. Amy was fitted for a custom-made manual wheelchair
Day 58: The G-Tube was both leaking at the stoma (exit point of the body) and was clogged. Amy was emergently transferred to the St. Joseph’s Hospital to be evaluated and have the G-Tube surgically replaced. COVID-19 swab test administered.
Days 59 - 66 or January 5, 2021: Amy's is POSITIVE for COVID-19. With that test result, transferring out of St. Joseph's Hospital and into an Acute Rehabilitation Center is now extremely challenging and highly improbable. For now, Amy is waiting to be re-tested after 10 days in hopes of obtaining a NEGATIVE test result.
Given all of the treatment and therapy to date, the doctors simply do not know if or when Amy will regain any of her dexterity or functionality. The 2 FDA-Approved treatments (IVIG Therapy and Plasmapheresis) have been successfully administered and we all will just have to wait and see if Amy's body responds positively.
There are so many unknowns for Amy's future right now, and all of them come with significant expenses. Although Amy has health insurance, it will not cover all of her bills for 2 lengthy hospital stays, multiple surgeries, 2 extremely expensive treatments, durable medical equipment costs for a long-term wheelchair, current costs for the acute rehabilitation hospital, and future skilled & non-skilled nursing home care costs. Additionally, residence modifications for wheelchair accessibility will also prove to be very costly in the future. Would you consider donating to this fund so my family and I do not have to bear the brunt of the medical care and rehabilitation costs?
I am aiming to raise an initial $100,000 for current / known expenses to date.
If you happen to be a religious person, please pray for a miracle for Amy. I am hopeful that God will indeed provide Amy that miracle because he loves to heal people against all odds. So please pray for a full recovery for Amy while you are consider contributing to my family's practical and financial needs.
Thank you for your heart-felt consideration.
Respectfully,
Peirce Andrews
To learn more about GBS, please click here .
Organizer
Peirce Andrews
Organizer
Phoenix, AZ