Dear family and friends and anyone else visiting my page and interested in my story,

As many of you may know, in 2013 I was a passenger in an accident where I was thrown, sustaining blunt force trauma to my entire right side, including my head, neck, and back. Individuals I was with would not take me to the emergency room and this led to a long list of new & ongoing physical health complications, including roughly 12 major surgeries, numerous additional medical procedures, 10 plus rounds of physical therapy, and epidural injections roughly every 3-6 months for my nerve pain. I have gone through all of the traditional treatments along with chiropractic care, massage therapy, and acupuncture. I am in excruciating nerve pain every day of my life. This October 2025 an MRI showed my L4/L5 & L5/S1 disc herniations were significantly worse. Unfortunately not even 3 full weeks later I woke up without feeling in my left leg and what I can feel prevents me from moving without excruciating nerve pain. My sister took me to the ER a few days later & was admitted. The ER doctors ordered another MRI which showed that I now have not just two herniated discs, but five. I am using a walker and hopefully will be able to transition to a cane with continuing treatment. I was told I will need back surgery. Everyday of my life is surrounded with intense nerve pain doing even simple things like sitting, standing, walking (I cannot do this without assistance) and debilitating intense intervals of intense nerve pain medications which are all at maxed doses, injections & procedures to be able to have a semblance of life at home. Daily tasks like sitting, standing, sleeping, cooking, cleaning, showering, taking the trash out and other chores, walking up and down stairs, putting on clothes and more are not even possible most days. I'm permanently disabled through the state of Kansas. Unfortunately due to new executive orders & laws I have lost over $1,000 in aid & help which provides me with the resources to basically survive much less pay for upcoming surgeries & treatments. In addition to these medical challenges I was harmed during a routine surgery there was an error by my doctor which led to additional major health surgeries and complications. Due to Kansas malpractice laws I could not pursue this legally even though I almost died and this all led to me having to stop working. Aside from my physical health, I’ve also experienced significant loss in my life lately. My father and my dog both passed away in the last year which has been another challenge in and of itself. All of these events have culminated in me being on a fixed income, which is quite limited and makes it difficult for me to survive.

Due to sustaining three more herniated discs in the past three weeks, I now need back surgery, and I need help. It has been recommended by my doctors for me to have in-home support and assistance with daily living tasks, such as cleaning, doing laundry, and preparing food. I can’t stand, bend, or sit long enough to complete any of these tasks. Aside from in-home care, my doctors believe it is dangerous for me to live on my own, as there is no one who I can call for help if I am home by myself and have a medical emergency. I need a new mattress to support my body and give me some ability to sleep & function. I’m having trouble sleeping due to my nerve pain. It has also been recommended for me to have an assistance dog. In order for Medicare to help cover a portion of my surgery, I must first participate in more physical therapy, more injections, more aid. All of these things are costly and impossible to fit into my fixed income & budget. My friends and family are doing everything they can to help me; however, they have limited availability and resources as well.

I implore you to help me and please donate so that I can afford to do all these things. My intentions are to recover and be able to walk unassisted, return to work again, and live as normally as possible, though I am expected to experience severe pain every day for the rest of my life.

Thank you all for your time and consideration in reading my story.

~Jessi Otting