Medical Recovery and Relief Fund
Donation protected
I unfortunately find myself in the position of requesting financial help from friends and family. This has been a humbling experience as I’ve exhausted all of my resources trying to survive over a year of extended health crises and financial hardship. I have tried to keep up with mortgage, food, utilities, medical supplies and medical insurance but have run out of funds and personal loans have created more debt. I am now in jeopardy of losing my home after renegotiating a loan modification while recovering from 3 shoulder surgeries after sustaining injuries at work from repetitive overhead motion coupled with a fall from a ladder at my workplace – all within 9 months and still undergoing physical therapy twice a week.
What I know is that life can change in an instant.
I had my first shoulder (left) on December 29, 2016, the surgeon who performed the first surgery botched it but because I “did not lose a limb” I was told by 5 medical malpractice lawyers I had no grounds to sue. I tried to pursue Workman’s Comp but was denied - because it’s hard to fight corporate entities. Alongside this time line, my short-term disability benefits and insurance coverage all expired in April 2017.
While recovering from the initial left shoulder surgery (a full-thickness rotator cuff tear), I pursued as many “work from home” opportunities as possible and although a few panned out – the projects were so sporadic they only met a few basic needs during that time. However, while in therapy for the initial surgery (left), I was experiencing the same symptoms and pain on my right shoulder as I had in the left prior to surgery. And after complaining, an MRI showed I also had a full-thickness rotator cuff TEAR on the non-surgical shoulder (right) and I would need yet another surgery immediately to repair it. The caveat here is that I wouldn’t be able to have the needed surgery until the first shoulder healed but only to discover that the first shoulder was “frozen” post-surgery and needed another procedure immediately or it would have become permanently impaired. Needless to say I’ve had 3 shoulder surgeries within 9 months and the recovery time for this type of surgery is minimum 6 months each. I now have 2 shoulders healing at the same time and have been out of work since December 2016. I had an extension granted in March on my physical therapy benefits because they had been exhausted after the first surgery and I am still in physical therapy for the right shoulder which was operated on in September 2017.
Trying to pay bills with no income and juggling to keep my basic needs afloat has been an absolute nightmare and I am now in jeopardy of losing my home because I’m not able to meet the terms of my loan modification and my medical insurance payments are behind. I am still in therapy trying to regain full use of both shoulders and have just discovered other medical problems that must be addressed before returning to any kind of full-time employment.
I am asking for financial assistance as the stresses of trying to find money each month to pay bills while navigating medical issues has been overwhelming and the delinquent bills are piling up. Would you please consider helping in any way you can.
I sincerely thank you in advance for your consideration and generosity.
Immediate need to save my home and avoid bankruptcy is: $15,000
Goal: $30,000
What I know is that life can change in an instant.
I had my first shoulder (left) on December 29, 2016, the surgeon who performed the first surgery botched it but because I “did not lose a limb” I was told by 5 medical malpractice lawyers I had no grounds to sue. I tried to pursue Workman’s Comp but was denied - because it’s hard to fight corporate entities. Alongside this time line, my short-term disability benefits and insurance coverage all expired in April 2017.
While recovering from the initial left shoulder surgery (a full-thickness rotator cuff tear), I pursued as many “work from home” opportunities as possible and although a few panned out – the projects were so sporadic they only met a few basic needs during that time. However, while in therapy for the initial surgery (left), I was experiencing the same symptoms and pain on my right shoulder as I had in the left prior to surgery. And after complaining, an MRI showed I also had a full-thickness rotator cuff TEAR on the non-surgical shoulder (right) and I would need yet another surgery immediately to repair it. The caveat here is that I wouldn’t be able to have the needed surgery until the first shoulder healed but only to discover that the first shoulder was “frozen” post-surgery and needed another procedure immediately or it would have become permanently impaired. Needless to say I’ve had 3 shoulder surgeries within 9 months and the recovery time for this type of surgery is minimum 6 months each. I now have 2 shoulders healing at the same time and have been out of work since December 2016. I had an extension granted in March on my physical therapy benefits because they had been exhausted after the first surgery and I am still in physical therapy for the right shoulder which was operated on in September 2017.
Trying to pay bills with no income and juggling to keep my basic needs afloat has been an absolute nightmare and I am now in jeopardy of losing my home because I’m not able to meet the terms of my loan modification and my medical insurance payments are behind. I am still in therapy trying to regain full use of both shoulders and have just discovered other medical problems that must be addressed before returning to any kind of full-time employment.
I am asking for financial assistance as the stresses of trying to find money each month to pay bills while navigating medical issues has been overwhelming and the delinquent bills are piling up. Would you please consider helping in any way you can.
I sincerely thank you in advance for your consideration and generosity.
Immediate need to save my home and avoid bankruptcy is: $15,000
Goal: $30,000
Organizer
Lynda Penn
Organizer
Silver Spring, MD
