To know Billie is to love Billie.

Billie Taylor is my aunt and Godmother and has a heart of gold. She is a retired widow who lost her husband, Mike Tesch, during COVID and has been living a very private and fiercely independent life ever since. However, right now she could use a little help from our friends.

On November 10th, 2024, Billie took a hard fall in her apartment trying to care for her cats that resulted in an excruciatingly painful double injury- she had broken both the crest of the femur on her left leg, as well as her hip. The very next day, doctors were able to rush her to emergency hip replacement surgery that went very well. On November 18th, she was transferred to a skilled nursing center, Riviera Health Resort, to continue recovering and begin occupational and physical therapy. 

Initially United Health Care set her for discharge after just 17 days in rehab. She had fallen again on Thanksgiving Day trying to go alone to the bathroom which both interrupted her recovery and served as a big morale crusher as it lessened everyone’s confidence (including her own) that she’d be able to return home and care for herself at a basic level. 

She was clearly not ready to return home where she lives alone. We appealed and miraculously WON extending her care 2 more weeks. That was welcomed news but it also came with a heavy co-pay that accrued dramatically over the next month of her stay. The inevitable 2nd discharge came on December 19th and the promise for help at home via her insurance ended up being pathetic: just 2 visits from a Home Health Aid for bathing and 4 visits from a physical therapist.

Luckily we were referred a wonderful caregiver through a friend and knew committing to a few weeks of care especially through the holidays was our only safe option. 

The surgeon told us it would be 4-6 months for her full recuperation. Billie’s case is more complicated than a standard hip replacement as it was a fracture not just a deteriorated joint. She also has other medical issues that compounds her general health, strength and healing (a deteriorated left knee that was scheduled for surgery, balance issues from prior surgery on both feet, osteoperosis, rheumatoid arthritis all over her body, limited use of her right hand and impaired vision from retinal surgery to name a few). 

Billie has tremendous determination. She knows Millie, Mona & Maggie (her kitties) need her to fully recover. She is doing her part with 3 therapy sessions a day at home for now and she will begin going to a rehabilitation center mid-month. It’s going to be a long haul but she is focused on a successful return to an independent life. 

All of that said, we want to try and make her recovery her only focus right now, free from the overwhelming financial burden that has resulted from the extreme insurance deductibles, copays and out of pocket costs for upcoming physical therapy and her temporary caregiver. We want to alleviate the compounding pressure she’s under as a budgeted retiree who had her expenses carefully planned out. 

Please consider making a donation today. Every little bit helps and is tremendously appreciated. Thank you in advance for your love, prayers & support.