Phoebe’s PHIGHT For Life
Donation protected
Phoebe has spent the last 7 years of her life as an Outdoor Educator and International Gap Year Leader. Anyone that knows Phoebe knows that she is filled with love, song, deep care, enthusiasm and a zest for life. Her passion is palpable, and she leaves a handprint on all the hearts that she meets throughout our globe.
What you may not know is much about what this work entails — or the impact that someone like Phoebe can have. Phoebe is tasked with taking charge of teenagers and young adults who are everywhere on the spectrum of health and functionality. She travels with them, into nature, into third-world countries, on the trail and into cities to help them learn about their strengths, their passions, their competencies and their self-esteem. The work is vital and it changes lives.
What’s also true about this work is that it’s a big stretch for anyone’s body: she is on duty all the time, she holds and advocates for the wholeness and resiliency of her students. Most people in this profession do it because they are called to, because they are brilliant at it. They are paid next to nothing and get no benefits, like, for example, health insurance. She understood all that and wanted to do the work anyway.
What appeared to be run-of-the-mill traveler’s diarrhea that started a few weeks ago has evolved into a medical journey of enormous proportions. Phoebe has been diagnosed with neurocysticercosis as well as other parasites that have rendered her without an immune system, no energy, an inability to absorb nutrition, inflammation, an impact on her nervous system and spine and many other implications. Phoebe did have health insurance, but like many before her is discovering its limitations at a vital and unfortunate time.
Phoebe was supposed to lead a semester in Africa this fall and has had to resign due to her health issues. This has been a heartbreaking choice for Phoebe as she loves the work that she does transforming lives of young people through experiential learning and travel.
She is under the care of a physician who is amazing, and who brings to the table a great combination of western and holistic medicine. The expectation is that Phoebe will need about six months to get back to health. Phoebe will have some insurance assistance in the form of Medicaid starting in July, but many of the tests and other protocols to remove the parasites and get her back into health are massively expensive and not covered by insurance.
In addition, she will not have more than gig-based income during that period of time. Phoebe has about 4 hours a day of energy. She has been babysitting, dog walking, house sitting, and doing whatever she can to make money. It is just not enough.
In order to sustain the next 6 months of care, housing and medical bills we estimate that she will need minimally $3,000 a month to meet these needs, or a total of $18,000.
The World NEEDS Phoebe. And at this Point she is unable to manage the massive expense of turning her health around and getting a solid foundation underneath her. Any support will be deeply appreciated.
What you may not know is much about what this work entails — or the impact that someone like Phoebe can have. Phoebe is tasked with taking charge of teenagers and young adults who are everywhere on the spectrum of health and functionality. She travels with them, into nature, into third-world countries, on the trail and into cities to help them learn about their strengths, their passions, their competencies and their self-esteem. The work is vital and it changes lives.
What’s also true about this work is that it’s a big stretch for anyone’s body: she is on duty all the time, she holds and advocates for the wholeness and resiliency of her students. Most people in this profession do it because they are called to, because they are brilliant at it. They are paid next to nothing and get no benefits, like, for example, health insurance. She understood all that and wanted to do the work anyway.
What appeared to be run-of-the-mill traveler’s diarrhea that started a few weeks ago has evolved into a medical journey of enormous proportions. Phoebe has been diagnosed with neurocysticercosis as well as other parasites that have rendered her without an immune system, no energy, an inability to absorb nutrition, inflammation, an impact on her nervous system and spine and many other implications. Phoebe did have health insurance, but like many before her is discovering its limitations at a vital and unfortunate time.
Phoebe was supposed to lead a semester in Africa this fall and has had to resign due to her health issues. This has been a heartbreaking choice for Phoebe as she loves the work that she does transforming lives of young people through experiential learning and travel.
She is under the care of a physician who is amazing, and who brings to the table a great combination of western and holistic medicine. The expectation is that Phoebe will need about six months to get back to health. Phoebe will have some insurance assistance in the form of Medicaid starting in July, but many of the tests and other protocols to remove the parasites and get her back into health are massively expensive and not covered by insurance.
In addition, she will not have more than gig-based income during that period of time. Phoebe has about 4 hours a day of energy. She has been babysitting, dog walking, house sitting, and doing whatever she can to make money. It is just not enough.
In order to sustain the next 6 months of care, housing and medical bills we estimate that she will need minimally $3,000 a month to meet these needs, or a total of $18,000.
The World NEEDS Phoebe. And at this Point she is unable to manage the massive expense of turning her health around and getting a solid foundation underneath her. Any support will be deeply appreciated.
Fundraising team (2)
Phoebe
Organizer
Boulder, CO
Nancy West
Team member
