On December 3rd, our dear friend Chelsea was leaving her shift as a postpartum doula when she fell down the base of a narrow staircase at an overnight shift. The fall resulted in 4 breaks in her left leg, 3 of which were spiral fractures of her tibia and fibula. These required emergency trauma surgery and per her surgical team, she is now unable to bear any weight on her left side for at least 2 months. She will not be able to work during this time and she will need daily assistance for basic self-care at home– for example, using a commode, transferring to/from the hospital bed and wheelchair, meal prep, and more.

As her chosen family, we are reaching out to community to help support her during this exceptionally challenging time. She is absolutely heartbroken to have to take a break from her doula work, to be leaving her team at Stork & Sprout shorthanded, and to now rely on others so intensely while she recovers. Her partner and elderly parents are working around the clock to help her get around at home as best they can, on top of their full time jobs. That being said, she desperately needs help at minimum a few times a week to provide her beloved caregivers the much needed time to attend to their own lives and individual health concerns, and avoid their own burnout or injuries.

Unfortunately, professional in-home care is not covered by health insurance (despite massive premiums and co-pays) and is thus creating a financial burden while Chelsea is without income (no unemployment nor disability due to her independent contractor status) during this time, and is desperately hoping to avoid accruing debt.

We are humbly asking and encouraging community, friends, and family for help: any amount of financial donations to help defray the costs of medical care, professional in-home care, lost income, and other unanticipated expenses is greatly appreciated.

All financial contributions will go directly towards helping Chelsea and her family during this long, arduous recovery time.

Thank you for helping support our dear friend Chelsea during this unexpected trying time!

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