Help Shawn Recover from Mounting Medical Bills

Shawn has had a long string of health problems that began over two decades ago, when she returned to Wyoming from an overseas nursing position in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It started with an auto-immune lung disease, which took far too long to diagnose. For over 2 years her lung disease was treated with the steroid medication Prednisone. The Prednisone in turn destroyed her adrenal glands along with severely weakening several other of her bodily systems. This has subsequently resulted in dependence on another steroid (hydrocortisone), to maintain essential adrenal function.

This prolonged use of corticosteroids along with the underlying pulmonary condition has decimated her body. A partial list of the domino-effects include a weakened endocrine system, GI tract, immune system, severe osteoporosis and ensuing pain, gall bladder removal, adrenal insufficiency, extreme body-wide pain, and edema. Her lungs, meanwhile, still suffer from the auto-immune disorder and are becoming fibrous, which has lead to low blood saturation levels that require nightly oxygen.

Recently Shawn’s mobility has suffered due to her extreme osteoporosis. In early December she woke up with a broken pelvis. While the pelvis was healing, in April her left forearm broke. On May 1st, her left hip socket broke, leading to an unnecessary & costly week-long hospital stay in Billings MT. Topping off the list, the strain of putting weight on the one good arm caused the separation of the muscle from the bone in her right arm that has rendered it unusable.

Until the bones heal, she’s down to the use of one limb. She’s currently being treated and cared for at the Transitional Care Unit in Sheridan Memorial Hospital. Her physicians expect her to stay there for 8 weeks, the time needed for her bones to heal so a badly needed hip replacement can be performed. However Medicare only covers 20 days of that expense. She must pay for the remaining 36 days herself.

While she does have medical coverage, the co-pay’s are mounting, so she’s reaching out to the gofundme community to help with the estimated $10,000 needed to pay off the current medical bills. More bills are likely to accumulate as her treatment continues.

Thank you for whatever you are able to contribute for her care!