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Mobility Help for Karen

Many of you know my mom, Karen Aldrich. Just over 9 years ago she was diagnosed with cancer in her spinal cord. Treatment then was early on and successful. It bought her about 7 to 8 years.

About 4 months ago she started having symptoms that suggested it was coming back with a vengeance like pain and numbness. After almost exactly 9 years after the original diagnosis, MRI's shown that her main tumor in her lower back had a big growth spurt. Karen began to have numbness in her right leg, bad sciatica, and more. The doctors wanted to be aggressive as her previous scans had not shown this growth. She had surgery the Wednesday before Christmas. We spent Christmas in the hospital while she recovered.

This tumor is tangled in her nerve roots. It is slowly strangling them. While the surgery was considered a success and they were able to debulk some of the tumor, my mom's mobility is getting worse. That numbness in her right leg has now become the inability to move her right foot, wiggle her toes, and more. She has a cane and a walker. 

She is on chemo now, and hopefully that will have an impact. We have been told to not expect her mobility to improve (so if it does, great, but we should not get our hopes up). She is having severe trouble driving (she physically moves her leg from gas to brake), with stairs, being comfortable, and more.

We are having to modify her van so she can drive with her hands. We may need to get her a scooter. We have to get extra railings in the house. We have to get a few other medical devices. We have to get a ramp. She has to get other prosthetic/brace-type things since her leg drags. We may have to get a stair chair.

My mom is on medicare which honestly is great. But, chemo is still expensive. Medicare only covers 1 medical device every 5 years (so if you need another wheel chair, a wheelchair AND a shower chair, etc. you are only getting one). Car conversion is extremely costly and uncovered.

These funds will help alleviate and cover these necessary medical devices in order to keep her mobile and independent. It will help offset the costly chemo and treatments. We also have to be prepared for things to progress negatively, but for now, allowing her to drive with her hands, get necessary railings, helping to cover chemo, and helping with other critical devices that are not covered by insurance at all.

My mom is superwoman. She has helped me in every way she has been able to to get through school, and I am trying to do the most I can in return. Needless to say, she's an independent and selfless person and it's killing her to feel so incapacitated and dependent on others. Unfortunately we are in a position that makes making all this stuff happen incredibly difficult. Anything anybody can give to help would be amazing. It's hard to ask for help, but here we are. We appreciate it. Thank you for your time and consideration!
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Donations 

  • Christopher Kennedy
    • $18 
    • 5 yrs
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Organizer

Kelsey Space-CaDetonate Aldrich
Organizer
Denver, CO

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