Medical expenses and new bathroom for Kitten
A lot of you know that my mom, Catherine Brough (Kitten) was in a car accident almost 39 years ago. She suffered a traumatic brain injury that left her in a coma for 3 weeks. She woke up, she fought, and worked and clawed her way through physical therapy. The TBI left her with very little balance and as a result, her ability to walk relied solely on using a walker.
However, the happy, sweet, caring, willing to do anything for anyone Kitten was not going to let a little (but really big) balance issue slow her down. She rode a 3 wheel bike to get around. She volunteered in a church preschool as a teacher’s assistant, her church nursery every Sunday, and another church’s community pantry. Until recently, a day didn’t go by that you wouldn’t see her out riding her bike.
By the beginning of 2021, her arthritis in her knees got to the point she needed a knee replacement. She was no longer able to get out and enjoy seeing other people. She had horrible pain even walking to the bathroom. So in March, she went in for a routine knee replacement. Things went great and she was home and doing great with physical therapy after just a few days in the hospital. A few weeks later and her recovery was right on track. Then one morning, she fell. When my dad got her up, she couldn’t put weight on her bad leg. After a trip to the er, X-rays ruling out a break, and a few days in the hospital, she still couldn’t put weight on it. So she was transferred to an area rehab facility. Progress was slow, but steady. Unfortunately, after 9 days in rehab, Dad got a call early in the morning. Mom fell again. This time there was clearly a compound fracture (the kind that the bone breaks through the skin) in her lower left leg. The facility called 911 and she was rushed to the er. She had broken her tibia and fibula. The next day she underwent surgery to repair her leg. They installed a plate and screws to secure her bone so it could heal. She was sent to a different rehab facility where she spent the next 7 weeks powering through multiple therapy sessions a day. On July 2, she was FINALLY well enough to come home, but still having quite a bit of pain when putting weight on her leg. In the first 24 hours, she fell 3 times. So we made some adjustments and had to stop letting her get up as much. And no getting up by herself. Things were fine and she was slowly gaining strength in her leg and her confidence. Until a few mornings ago, less than a month after coming home, she fell again and broke her same leg in the same spot with a compound fracture all over again.
So here we are, day 3 post-op from the second surgery to repair her tibia. The bills have already been piling up, the need for so much more that Mom’s Medicaid won’t cover (ie: a ramp on the outside of their house, a bathroom remodel or addition, some doorways need to be enlarged, etc), and Dad’s lost income due to not being able to work since her knee replacement in March. We have no idea what the future is going to look like for Mom, but we need to make her house as easy for her to navigate as possible. Even just getting in the house has been a challenge in recent months.
And for the first time in my life, my dad is asking for help. He has worked so hard over the last 40 years to take care of Mom and me. He provided the sole income, the roof over our heads, the food we ate, and the clothes we wore. He did it all. So now I’d really love to be able to help him cover these costs with the help of our family, friends, and community.
If you feel led to give, we all, but especially my precious momma, would be so grateful!