Who we are and what happened:

My name is Woody Woodruff, and I’m reaching out on behalf of my wife, Carol.

Almost seven months ago, our lives got turned upside down when Carol suffered a severe stroke in her left basal ganglia on April 6. What followed was a 10-day hospital stay and a 20-day inpatient rehabilitation stay, leading to medical bills totaling approximately $355,000. After insurance, payments, and discounts, we are still left with a seemingly impossible $35,879 balance for her stay.

The stroke initially left Carol‘s entire right side flaccid, but thanks to her determination and hard work, she has regained about 60% use of her right leg and can walk short distances with assistance. Unfortunately, her right arm is only at about 1%. While her speech is intact, she needs help with nearly every daily task, whether it’s getting dressed, using the restroom, or simply getting in or out of a chair.

The Urgent financial need and goal $59,379:

We are setting a goal of $59,379 to cover the immediate medical debt, Physical Therapy, and purchase of some critical equipment necessary to continue Carol’s recovery at home.

Estimated needs and why we need it:

Her existing unpaid medical bills are $35,879 for the initial hospital and rehabilitation stay.

Essential equipment $11,500

Carol desperately needs a power assist lift recliner (Power La-Z-Boy) so that she can get in and out of a resting position without physical assistance.

Currently, Carol is unable to use our bed and is forced to sleep in a chair, but is unable to get out of it without some assistance.

She would like to get a NuStep Recumbent Stepper for arm and leg therapy.

I would like to get her a Power Scooter for those days at the Zoo with our grandson or for a neighborhood stroll.

Ongoing therapy and care $12,000.

Health insurance cut off Home Health treatment after 60 visits. Carol has, unfortunately, begun to regress without professional intervention. This fund will help pay for essential physical and occupational therapy necessary to continue gaining function in her leg and hopefully spark movement in her arm.

Total goal $59,379.

Any funds exceeding the goal will be used for loss of income and unexpected future medical costs.

The compounding crisis, a second accident:

As we were fully focused on Carol‘s stroke, recovery, and mounting bills, tragedy struck again just 50 days after the stroke. Our eldest adult son was run over by a truck while riding his bicycle at night.

His injuries were catastrophic and nearly life-ending.

He sustained severe neck injuries requiring a plate in the back of his skull and rods to repair the damage. He broke his tibia and fibula in one leg, which was repaired with a titanium rod and screws. He tore a hole in his diaphragm and caused his liver to relocate through the hole. He had numerous broken ribs, organ lacerations, along with cuts, scrapes, and bruises.

After four major surgeries and a two-week stay in the ICU, he is thankfully alive and recovering at home, but he has been unable to work for the past five months. While he is managing some of his own bills, the time split between caring for Carol and caring for our son has resulted in a significant loss of income for me, making it nearly impossible to keep up with Carol’s growing medical debt and our family's basic needs.

Who Carol is?

Before the stroke, Carol was the heart of our family, a loving wife and mother of two boys. She was outgoing and incredibly active. Carol found joy working in her yard and garden, and adored her time spent with our four-year-old grandson. She loved taking him to the zoo, the park, for ice cream, and simply getting down on the floor to play and teach.

Now, she can’t get down to play with him, drive him anywhere, or even pick him up for a hug. The devastating financial burden, the loss of her independence, and the emotional drain have been devastating for her, but we are optimistic. Carol still has feeling in her arms and legs, and we believe with intensive dedicated therapy that insurance won’t cover, she can regain more function and get back to the life she loves. As difficult as everything has been, we are not giving up. We are asking for your help to pay down this insurmountable debt and get Carol the therapy and equipment she needs to help regain her independence. Please share Carol's story. We are deeply grateful for your support, your kind words, and your much-needed prayers.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,

The Woodruff Family.