Support Makenna’s Urgent Medical Surgery

Hey Everyone,

I hate that I’m doing this, but I finally worked up the courage to ask for help and type this out.

While snowboarding on Feb. 25th, I had an accident causing a very serious injury. This lead to immediately being rushed into emergency surgery. Not only that, but I still have 2 more extensive surgeries to go.

This injury is called a Perilunate Dislocation. It is a rare wrist injury where the carpal bones (wrist bones) displace relative to the lunate bone.

This injury typically occurs due to a high-energy trauma, such as a fall from a height or a motor vehicle accident. The force of the impact causes the wrist to hyperextend and deviate, resulting in the damage of the ligaments that stabilize the carpal bones.

In my case, I have torn every ligament in my wrist.

Luckily the Steadman Clinic has some of the best surgeons in the country. Dr. Viola (an expert whose very, maybe the most, experienced in this specific rare injury) was able to save my hand from nerve damage during the emergency surgery. If I didn't receive that surgery, I ultimately would have lost the function and feeling of my thumb, index, and middle finger. He also put an external fixator into my wrist.

My next surgery that I am waiting for is one that I have been told will not happen until the surgeon payment is received. This is something that I do not have in my possession to give them.

The surgeon fee is where I am asking for assistance since he does not accept Medicaid.

I already owe $8,000.00 from the first emergency surgery and the next two will cost about the same. That is $24,000.00.

To be frank: I have no comfort, I am in severe pain, and I have an external fixator sticking out of my arm in an uncomfortable cast that goes up to my armpit. I did not at all expect recovery to be this miserable.

I am desperate for my next surgery . It will leave me in a more stable, less painful condition until my following surgery which would be 8-12 weeks after.

The Steadman Clinic has made it very, very clear to me that this surgery will not happen until they receive payment. Although my external fixator was only scheduled to be in for 9 days, they said I can keep it in for as long as it takes for me to get my finances together, even if it’s several months or a year.

I was scheduled to have this surgery on Friday, March 7th. I was told all this information for the first time on Monday, March 3rd.

Obviously, I am looking at rescheduling that since the surgeon fee is not possible for me to provide right now.

I have applied to every financial assistance program and also local charities that help people in my situation. ( I will update this immediately if I find out I am able to receive anything that would change the cost)

I am scared because I don’t know when I will be able to get this surgery. I am panicked that I am stuck in an extremely uncomfortable, painful external fixator for an unknown amount of time.

Asking for help is extremely difficult for me to do. To be honest, the emotional and financial havoc this accident has brought on has me feeling embarrassed.

I am now out of work because of this injury and the pressure of all of my other financial responsibilities are weighing heavy right now.

As much as I want to focus on gratitude, healing, and turning this misfortune into a learning experience… I can’t seem to focus on anything other than staying calm and finding out how I am going to make this surgery happen.

If you feel encouraged to donate, please know how grateful I am from the very bottom of my heart.

If you are not in a place to give, trust me, I am very understanding to that position.

I ask you to please share to anyone who has been blessed with abundance and wants to help a girl out with no safety net to fall on.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Feel free to reach out to me if you have questions or want more information.

God Bless,

Makenna