Phill Abernathy's Diving & Medical Expenses
Donation protected
Hello Friends,
As some of you may have seen, I've been featured recently in several news outlets for helping a visiting couple from Vancouver, WA recover their wedding ring. See below for some fun links:
Tahoe Tribune:
https://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/saving-the-day-local-diver-retrieves-wedding-ring-dropped-in-tahoe-during-ceremony/
Fox40:
https://fox40.com/news/local-news/marriage-ceremony-leads-to-scuba-diving-hunt-for-wedding-ring-in-lake-tahoe/
CBS13:
https://gooddaysacramento.cbslocal.com/2021/03/19/marlee-andrew-kent-tahoe-ring-rescue/
What's not shared is that it took me a few years to get back to this point in my diving. In 2018, right after my surgery detailed below, I wasn't sure if I'd ever be able to dive again. As you've seen, I'm recovering and able to dive as a result of the surgery. Unfortunately, the surgery was considered elective. Due to low coverages in my insurance I'm still paying off medical bills.
I know there are many many important causes to support and I appreciate you reading through here. I'd love to keep helping others selflessly and realizing that the other end of that is making sure that I can also support myself. Which is why I'm asking for help here. Thanks so much; every little bit helps!
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I had to have half of my lung removed do to a birth defect. - Spoiler alert - It was not cancer...
In 2016 I discovered that I had a rather strange mass growing in the lower left lobe of my lung. This mass was gelatinous in nature.
It had taken over the lung tissue. Causing me to experience symptoms similar to chronic pneumonia. This caused a continuing misdiagnosis. I had to fight with the doctors for further testing. Due to the insurance coverage I had at the time. The coverage was very minimal in nature. So any further tests would have to be covered out of pocket.
In 2017 I was sent to a specialist who performed a CT guided biopsy of the mass. However he was unable to identify the mass and sent my results to the U.C. Davis Cancer Center.
In 2018 the U.C. Davis Cancer Center in Sacramento successfully identified the issue. I had a bronchopulmonary sequestration; a rare malformation of the lung that occurs before a baby is born. Though I had grown into a healthy young person in spite of this, I was having issues breathing and had a chronic cough. Lastly, it would feel as though I was running out of gas before the tank was empty. The doctors there were able to correct the issues with surgery.
In April of 2018 the infectious tissue was removed and the recovery began.
As some of you may have seen, I've been featured recently in several news outlets for helping a visiting couple from Vancouver, WA recover their wedding ring. See below for some fun links:
Tahoe Tribune:
https://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/saving-the-day-local-diver-retrieves-wedding-ring-dropped-in-tahoe-during-ceremony/
Fox40:
https://fox40.com/news/local-news/marriage-ceremony-leads-to-scuba-diving-hunt-for-wedding-ring-in-lake-tahoe/
CBS13:
https://gooddaysacramento.cbslocal.com/2021/03/19/marlee-andrew-kent-tahoe-ring-rescue/
What's not shared is that it took me a few years to get back to this point in my diving. In 2018, right after my surgery detailed below, I wasn't sure if I'd ever be able to dive again. As you've seen, I'm recovering and able to dive as a result of the surgery. Unfortunately, the surgery was considered elective. Due to low coverages in my insurance I'm still paying off medical bills.
I know there are many many important causes to support and I appreciate you reading through here. I'd love to keep helping others selflessly and realizing that the other end of that is making sure that I can also support myself. Which is why I'm asking for help here. Thanks so much; every little bit helps!
-------------------------------------------------
I had to have half of my lung removed do to a birth defect. - Spoiler alert - It was not cancer...
In 2016 I discovered that I had a rather strange mass growing in the lower left lobe of my lung. This mass was gelatinous in nature.
It had taken over the lung tissue. Causing me to experience symptoms similar to chronic pneumonia. This caused a continuing misdiagnosis. I had to fight with the doctors for further testing. Due to the insurance coverage I had at the time. The coverage was very minimal in nature. So any further tests would have to be covered out of pocket.
In 2017 I was sent to a specialist who performed a CT guided biopsy of the mass. However he was unable to identify the mass and sent my results to the U.C. Davis Cancer Center.
In 2018 the U.C. Davis Cancer Center in Sacramento successfully identified the issue. I had a bronchopulmonary sequestration; a rare malformation of the lung that occurs before a baby is born. Though I had grown into a healthy young person in spite of this, I was having issues breathing and had a chronic cough. Lastly, it would feel as though I was running out of gas before the tank was empty. The doctors there were able to correct the issues with surgery.
In April of 2018 the infectious tissue was removed and the recovery began.
Fundraising team (2)
Phill Abernathy
Organizer
Rampart, CA
Minnie Wong
Team member
