Stacey's Lung Surgery Hospital Bills

On Saturday, July 31, 2021, Stacey Nishimoto experienced sharp chest pain, shortness of breath, and heavy pressure in her lungs. That evening, she visited the emergency room at Cedars-Sinai Hospital and was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with a collapsed lung. If left untreated, Stacey's entire right lung would have collapsed. Had Stacey been on a flight, her right lung would have exploded and killed her. As of writing this, Stacey has been in the hospital for 6 days.

The medical term for Stacey's issue is “Pneumothorax." Pneumothorax occurs when air enters the space around your lungs (the pleural space). Air can find its way into the pleural space when there’s an open injury in your chest wall or a tear or rupture in your lung tissue, disrupting the pressure that keeps your lungs inflated. Stacey had five big holes in her lungs. The doctor stitched them up and put in a bigger tube to drain blood and air.

This is the second instance of pneumothorax for Stacey. In May of this year, her lung collapsed and required drainage.

We are still investigating the cause of this, but her doctor believes it to be related to endometriosis, a condition Stacey was previously unaware she had. This is not the end of this for Stacey, it will be a long journey to recovery.

I've been friends with Stacey since 2006, when we met in San Francisco. I consider her family, and have watched her become a mother, start a business, and become a highly sought-after designer and open her own store in Echo Park. Her son, Gus, is 9 years old and currently being cared for by his father Clay Gibson.

Unfortunately because of Stacey's financial position, she is without health insurance and will leave the hospital with exorbitant hospital bills for both surgery and care. It's urgent that we support her and we ask that you donate anything you can to help cover the costs and get Stacey back on her feet and ultimately insured.