Rigena and Greta's Bone Breaking Winter Walk

It was 6:00 am on Wednesday, February 20th when Rigena, took Greta (one of her two dogs) out for her first walk and bathroom break. It was a good start to the day as snow was lightly falling and the neighborhood was quiet …  when suddenly, Rigena found herself laying on the sidewalk. Between the cracking sounds she heard and the unnatural angle of her foot laying to the side, it was clear to Rigena that she had broken something. It was very cold outside, and Greta was worried when Rigena didn't get up after slipping on the ice-covered sidewalk which had been covered by snow. As it was very early, Rigena knew it was unlikely anyone would happen upon her any time soon, so she carefully dragged herself backward up the walkway and porch of the nearest house and rang the bell. The resident dogs and the homeowner answered and after securing her dogs, invited Rigena and Greta in — as Rigena scooted herself into the entryway before the homeowner called 911. Greta was scared and stressed at this point, but Regina’s pain was really starting to set in... Thankfully, the homeowner was able to keep Greta for a bit until she could reach someone to help get Greta and get to her other dog Twoie. Shout out to the EMT’s who transported Rigena and stopped by her apartment on the way to the ER to grab her phone and call me! Once at the hospital, Rigena was assessed and x-rays taken, the images confirmed that Rigena had fractured her ankle in three places (trimalleolar fracture) and ruptured ligaments, she was splinted, given pain medication and orthopedic referral as she would need corrective surgery. Rigena had additional pain in her right shoulder, which sustained soft tissue damage.


Rigena relocated to the Twin Cities this past Summer (2018) after 8 years in Austin, TX. She is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, after piecing together various shifts at locations in Minneapolis and St. Paul, she was offered a full-time position with a health and rehabilitation center in St. Paul. Unfortunately, Rigena’s health and disability insurance coverage was not in effect at the time of her accident, adding insult to injury, as they say. 


Then, a few days later, Sunday, February 24th, Rigena awoke feeling faint and nauseated which, after vomiting and losing consciousness, resulted in a second trip to the ER. Thankfully Rigena had her phone with her and was able to call me, she was incoherent when speaking, then the phone went silent. My partner and I quickly got dressed and drove over to Rigena’s apartment where we found her lying motionless on the bathroom floor, Greta and Twoie sitting next to her. After blood work, fluids, anti-nausea and pain meds, and a CT scan, the doctors couldn’t find anything specific, so they released her, and we took Rigena home.

A week and a half after the fall, Rigena finally had surgery to repair her fracture, she’s on a long road to recovery and is well aware of what that will take given her career as an OTA. She is currently facing 6-8 weeks of no weight bearing (NWB) and likely 3-months plus not being able to work nor drive.


Rigena’s whole life and her careers (animal humane work and occupational therapy) have been focused on helping others. Our conversations over the last few weeks, have brought us to laughter and tears, as she now finds herself in this place of having to ask for help. It’s humbling for her, but every day she realizes how important it is to her healing. Rigena’s passion is helping folks age in place — to be able to stay in their own space, help them maintain or regain their independence as appropriate or safe.

When Rigena relocated from TX to MN, her circle of friends became very small and all of us are helping out however we can. To help her situation, Rigena has paid for her mom up from Southern IL, covering travel and her mom’s monthly bills while she’s in MN for a month. One of Rigena’s new co-workers was and is able to help with her dogs. We are asking for monetary help, as Rigena is facing a long recovery without income or means to earn income at this time. She also will need to cover medical expenses, animal care costs and living costs.


Thanks to all who can help, any amount is greatly appreciated,
Aimee


Medical Expenses ($24,000)
— pre and post-op visits, ambulance, follow-ups, occupational therapy

Lost wages and Monthly Expenses ($10,000)
— wages, rent, auto insurance, utilities, food, incidentals

Animal Care ($4,000)
— dog walkers and sitters, food, medications, veterinary visits