My name is Denise Figueiredo and I am writing to ask for your financial support to pay for my brother’s expenses with transitioning him from over 100 days of hospitalization back to his independent life.

On Aug 19th, after rapidly losing his vision due to compression of his optic nerve, Marco Figueiredo was hospitalized at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland/USA, to have a pituitary tumor removed from his brain. He was expected to go home within 48 hours and be able to go back to working and functioning without deficits.

Unfortunately, Marco had post-surgical complications and ended up having 5 brain procedures in 5 weeks to address edema, bleeding, ventriculitis, meningitis, hydrocephalus with shunt placement, sepsis, and Diabetes Insipidus - a condition which makes it challenging for him to regulate his sodium level and further impacting his physical, mental, and functional stability. Marco has remained hospitalized and is completing inpatient rehab therapy at Sinai Hospital.

I have stayed with him 24/7 since the third day of his hospitalization when I left my job in what became a non-paid leave of absence as a school system occupational therapist, to ensure he recovers fully. I am clear that my training in functional brain/body integration prepared me for my brother’s current situation and I am committed to getting him back to his independent life with his two children, as I promised our mom and his 13-year-old boy. Marco has a brilliant mind and a big heart, and shows signs he can recover fully, though he needs time and full community and rehab support to get there.

Marco is scheduled to be discharged from Sinai Hospital on Friday, December 13th, 2024, and won’t be able to go home due to safety reasons managing his townhouse steps given his current level of function. That means, I have to relocate his residential placement, set up caregiver services, and pay for transportation to/from rehab clinics and doctor’s visits as I resume working in January.

Currently, he has been under short-term disability with a decrease in income by 30% and from February on, by 40% as he enters long-term disability. Reality is that as far as I can see, Marco used extra working hours to balance finances. Despite cuts made to his expenses currently, his medical bills started piling up and his expenses are higher than his actual income – unfortunately a reality of life in America when you are hit by a debilitating chronic medical condition.

Given the challenges of managing Marco’s intense and continuous medical and physical care needs, I ask for your contribution to support him with his recovery. I thank friends and family who have supported us along the way, and I am grateful for your financial contribution, whichever way you can provide it.

Kindly,

Denise