Medical Expenses for the Hodgson Family

March 10, 2022 should have been a day of celebration for Laura and Josh Hodgson. It was their 10th wedding anniversary, and they had planned to go to the beach together while Nana and Papa would watch their three boys for a long weekend. Instead, they were in the hospital where Laura, 37, was recovering from brain surgery. A neurosurgeon had removed a golf-ball sized tumor from her hypothalamus 12 days earlier. Floor nurses came into her room with Happy Anniversary balloons and stopped short when they realized a team of oncologists were already there. The doctors were delivering the worst possible news to Laura and Josh, news that would change their lives forever.

 

We learned that day that Laura has grade IV midline diffuse glioma , specifically a glioblastoma. Glioblastomas are considered the most aggressive form of brain cancer, with a 14% five-year survival rate for her age group. The oncologists told them that they would begin chemotherapy and radiation as soon as Laura was strong enough. They also gently clarified that the purpose of the treatment would be to extend her life to one, maybe two more years, but that it was incurable.

 

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My name is Christine, I’m Laura’s sister and only sibling. Just 18 months younger than her, I’ve never even imagined, much less known, a life without my big sister’s love and support. A family friend recently shared a story about when Laura and I were little that I think perfectly depicts us:

 

“I looked at the picture of the two girls and I remembered when they were little. Laura was always ‘taking care’ of Christine. When I tried to get her to let Christine do anything on her own, Laura was close to tears and she said, ‘But she’s my BABY.’”

 

It’s my turn to take care of Laura now. While there many things I can do - run errands, watch my nephews, and even try to pretend everything is fine on days she doesn’t remember her diagnosis - it’s not enough. I can’t save my big sister.

 

I can, however, do everything in my power to make sure her family can stay in their home and put food on the table while they cover her healthcare costs and the myriad of other expenses no one should ever have to plan for. The medical bills are already piling up, and Laura was also repeatedly denied life insurance due to a pre-existing condition. She mentioned it to my dad on the day the tumor was discovered, already concerned about the catastrophic impact to her husband and their children (Luke – 12, Cody – 7, and Theo – 5).

 

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the US, and its costs have risen 10 percent in the past five years. As a result, medical expenses account for 62 percent of all bankruptcies in America. Of those who filed for bankruptcy due to medical expenses, nearly three-quarters had health insurance.

 

Will you help me prevent this from happening to my sister, and consider a donation to the Hodgson family? Any amount is appreciated, and will help them navigate the challenges in the coming year. We can do this together, for Laura. She’s our baby.

 

Christine & Laura (Sept, 2021)

 

 

Anne Haugh, Laura Hodgson, Christine Pusilo, Ken Haugh (Aug, 2019)