Please help my friend Crystal

I have known Crystal since 1999. We met when we worked at the Federal Reserve Bank together and soon became good friends. We had a lot in common. Our sons were the same age. We were pregnant with our daughters together in 2005. In 2012 I got her a job at McKesson Medical, and we were there until they closed their doors in June of 2020. She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in September 2014. I remember it well. She was devastated, scared, confused, and didn’t know what the future would bring. She was still walking, but her gate and balance had started to fail her because the nerves in her right side were becoming lame. It was unfortunate how fast this disease was progressing. She started using a walker at this point. In 2016 she had a bad fall resulting in a fractured spinal cord. She now uses a wheelchair. She always kept her strength and grace with all these changes and challenges. She insisted that she continue to work. She would be lost without a job to get up and move daily. Yet, she would show up at work every day with a smile. NEVER, EVER did I hear her complain about how unfair it was that she got this disease? She's always been one of the strongest people I know.

It was discovered in May of 2021 that there was a stage four pressure ulcer under the gluteal fold on her left-hand side. She began wound care therapy, and the ulcer was slowly healing. Mel, her fiancé, did all her daily dressing changes. In January, she was hospitalized due to an infection in the ulcer and had surgery. She was then put on short-term disability and unable to work. She was put on a wound VAC machine, had to get a hospital bed for her home and was ordered to stay in bed to keep pressure off the wound. Because she needed 24 hour care, Mel could not work during this time because he was taking care of her. However, the County refused to pay him anything for caring for her 24 hours a day.

The medical bills have been stacking up, and the garnish your wages letters are starting to come. She also needs a new wheelchair, and insurance will only cover a portion of the cost. She has discussed bankruptcy, but even that comes with a price.

She returned to work on April 4th on a reduced schedule of 6 hours. The doctor only wanted her to sit on the wound for 6 hours daily. On June 27th, her plan went back to 8 hours a day. She still sees the doctor at the wound care clinic once a month, and her fiancé does all her daily dressing changes. The wound is not 100% healed. It is going to be a slow process.

I hope to raise $4000 to cover the medical bills that were incurred while she was and currently is in wound care therapy and while in the hospital. Also, to help with the cost of the wheelchair. She is such an influential person, but right now, she could use some help