Steve & Proxy’s family emergency fund

Steve Stockmal was an EMT when he became legally blind in 2000 due to type I diabetes. In 2015, he underwent bilateral amputation of his legs and fought his way back, learning to walk again. Despite his frequent falls, Steve’s attitude remained positive. He lives with celiac and is on peritoneal home dialysis, but, to him, “it’s just life.” He pushes through and keeps on keepin’ on. In May, 2022, Steve was incredibly blessed and was matched with balance & mobility Great Dane Proximity - best known as Proxy - from Service Dog Project in Ipswich, MA. They donate these incredible dogs who change lives every day. Their bond was immediate, and they worked diligently together after being matched to maintain the skills they’d each been taught. Tragically, over the summer, Steve developed a wound on his left stump that wouldn’t heal. At the end of August, after taking a family trip to return his daughter Kassie to college out of state, he was admitted to the hospital as an urgent case and found to be severely septic. Immediate, additional left stump amputation was necessary. Two more inches of his leg were removed. Steve is currently (September 4, 2022) in the hospital fighting off more issues, staring down the barrel of more agonizing debridement. At home, his wife Sherye is having to reduce her work schedule in the retail sector to facilitate attending to Proxy (service dogs don’t do well AT ALL when separated suddenly for long stretches from their handlers; While a family friend is helping with training, and family is stopping in for potty breaks, poor Proxy is in need of his Dad), but also to attend to the calls from and meetings with the hospital case managers. Medicare threw in a HUGE curveball. They won’t cover rehab because Steve is capable of transferring himself from his bed to his chair. This means he will be discharged home. The kink there? He can’t be alone because there is no ramp. If there is a fire, he would be trapped. (The logistics of adding one don’t compute, as the design of the house and location of basement door and driveway don’t allow it). Medicaid will EVENTUALLY (it will take time, they were told) approve a home health care worker to cover about 35 hours per week, for which they are extremely grateful. However, there are many hours left during which there’s nobody available.   THIS FUND has been set up to assist in getting coverage for hours while Sherye is at work until Medicaid can help. Even once Medicaid covers 35 hours, again, for which the Stockmals are INCREDIBLY grateful, there will still be help needed. Navigating all this is so complex. The case manager and social worker at the hospital are extremely helpful in trying to line up all the paperwork. (Part of the fund will be needed to fund paying movers once new housing is found). It’s overwhelming. No family should be locked in a corner like this, yet, here’s Steve. Still with his trademark smile, doing all he can to stay positive, no matter what life throws at them. Sherye perseveres and buoys them. They WILL need to move, but housing inventory is almost nothing right now. And when you add to the mix the need for a ramp and room for a Great Dane, things get tougher. Please, they could use some help. Steve needs coverage to help provide the safety and health care he needs so Sherye can work to provide for them. Thank you so much for your time and generosity of heart. Please share this fundraiser. Thank you very much.