The Penna Family Medical Needs
Donation protected
This GoFundMe account is being set up for my sister, Jill, and her husband, Jacob. Jill is a teacher, and Jacob has been unemployed for 4 years due to crippling spine complications, for which he needs surgery very soon. I want to give just a brief summary of their situation, but if you want to read further details, those are written below.
Summary
Jacob & Jill have had several major medical events in the timeframe of less than 2 years. The following are the medical events & costs.
Jacob had a medicinally caused DKA for which he was hospitalized for 4 days, incurring well over $12K.
Jacob had a staph infection and was hospitalized for 4 days, incurring around $10K.
That staph infection has morphed into a very large cyst, and needs surgical attention, for which their deductible will be maxed and add another $5-$8K.
Jill had a total hysterectomy in May of 2020 that maxed her side of the deductible costing $6-$7K.
Jacob’s spine requires major surgery, where they will remove 2 discs in his lower back, possibly more. He meets with the surgeon in early February to discuss what needs to be done & when the surgery will happen. Estimated costs are over $10K.
There have already been donations for the surgery on the cyst. And there are some unknown costs as of right now, but in total their medical debt will definitely hit $35K, likely much higher.
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. And if you’re unable to help financially, please lift this family up in your prayers. Thank you & God bless.
Further Details
Thank you for taking time to read this story. I think everyone can understand the burden of medical costs nowadays. Even with insurance, a single medical event can be thousands of dollars. Unfortunately, my sister Jill, and her husband Jacob, have found themselves with several such events the last few years and the financial burden has become immense.
Jill is a 5th grade school teacher. She teaches at an elementary where their daughter, Gracie, also attends as a 4th grader. Jacob is currently unable to work due to severe, chronic lower back troubles. He has been in this state for a while, and the debilitating degenerative disc disease has progressed to a point that most days he struggles to even sit up for more than a couple hours at a time.
A bit of a backstory - about 15 years ago, Jacob first started having back pains and sought medical help. After many months of physical therapy and some other tests, it was discovered that he had a degenerative disc in his lower back, at L5-S1. At that point, it wasn’t crippling or too painful for him, but he did need to change his job at a lawn care to more of a desk job. Throughout several years after that, pains would get worse for a time and they found that cortisone shots every 6 months or so helped tremendously. Eventually, years later, cortisone shots stopped helping; as did chiropractic care, physical therapy and other homeopathic remedies. He has met with surgeons throughout the years, but surgery was never recommended until a few years ago. The surgeon needed some additional testing, and those tests were scheduled, one being a discogram.
However, the week the discogram was first scheduled, Jacob had a severe DKA due to a medication change that nearly killed him. He was put in the ICU for 4 days. Apart from all the medical expenses of therapy and other tests throughout the years, this hospital stay was thousands and thousands of dollars.
Back to the discogram - they got it rescheduled after he was released from the hospital. However, when the insurance year rolled over, the doctor that was scheduled to do the discogram was out of network. So Jacob had to find a new pain management doctor to see on a monthly basis as well as to do this procedure. They found a new doctor, and the discogram was scheduled for the spring of 2020. That was when COVID was spreading through the USA, and doctors and hospitals were experiencing chaotic times. So, the discogram was cancelled by his doctor until further notice. Finally, the doctor was able to schedule it for Jan 7th, and Jacob finally was able to get that test done, which was needed for the surgeon to have a better understanding of what he needed to do for Jacob’s spinal surgery. Unfortunately, the month before the discogram, another very unexpected medical emergency came up.
In mid December, Jacob was diagnosed with a staph infection on his scalp, and was admitted into the hospital. He was there for 4 days, again, incurring thousands of dollars in medical bills. When he was released, they thought it was done with, but a sizable cyst formed (about 2.5x2 inches at the base and protruding off the scalp about 1.5 inches) in the wound left by the staph infection. Consulting their PCP, he was shocked and very concerned about the size of the cyst, as well as the discharge from the wound. He referred Jacob to a plastic surgeon for what they were told would be a quick, noninvasive outpatient procedure. They met with the plastic surgeon only to be met with the same shock and concern as with the PCP. The surgeon came to the conclusion that a more drastic step must be taken, and surgery was required. A surgery that would once again add thousands and thousands to their growing medical debt.
Also, within the last year, Jill unfortunately had need for surgery. She began having pains in her midsection and consulted with her doctor. After some tests, it was discovered that she had an egg sized cyst on her ovary, and the ovary needed to be surgically removed. During surgery, severe endometriosis was discovered and so a total hysterectomy was performed by the surgeon. This procedure maxed out Jill’s side of their deductible for 2020.
Jacob and Jill were able to take care of most of their medical bills throughout the years of Jacob having tests or procedures for his spine, and were saving for his eventual back surgery. However, these other medical emergencies have simply added up to huge amounts even with major health insurance. And Jacob still has major surgery on his back in the near future. He meets with the surgeon on Feb 2nd to go over the discogram, and a recent MRI. They will discuss the type of surgery that will take place, how many discs the surgeon wants to remove (the lowest 2 discs are the main concern and will be removed, possibly more) and what type of vertebral fusion may need to be done. Jacob was told that surgery on his spine will likely be within 3-6 months. Recovery time is unknown, as well as how long he will need assistance after surgery.
Suffice to say, their financial burdens are immense, and there are more to come. Any support you are able to give would be greatly appreciated. And if you cannot help in a monetary fashion, they are in need of prayers. Prayers for Jacob’s cyst on his scalp which is scheduled for surgery on Jan 28th, prayers for his meeting with the surgeon Feb 2nd, prayers for the spinal surgery that will be scheduled later this year, for healing after the surgery. And prayers for the mental, emotional & spiritual strain all of this has put on this family for years, and for some time yet to come. Thank you & God bless.
Summary
Jacob & Jill have had several major medical events in the timeframe of less than 2 years. The following are the medical events & costs.
Jacob had a medicinally caused DKA for which he was hospitalized for 4 days, incurring well over $12K.
Jacob had a staph infection and was hospitalized for 4 days, incurring around $10K.
That staph infection has morphed into a very large cyst, and needs surgical attention, for which their deductible will be maxed and add another $5-$8K.
Jill had a total hysterectomy in May of 2020 that maxed her side of the deductible costing $6-$7K.
Jacob’s spine requires major surgery, where they will remove 2 discs in his lower back, possibly more. He meets with the surgeon in early February to discuss what needs to be done & when the surgery will happen. Estimated costs are over $10K.
There have already been donations for the surgery on the cyst. And there are some unknown costs as of right now, but in total their medical debt will definitely hit $35K, likely much higher.
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. And if you’re unable to help financially, please lift this family up in your prayers. Thank you & God bless.
Further Details
Thank you for taking time to read this story. I think everyone can understand the burden of medical costs nowadays. Even with insurance, a single medical event can be thousands of dollars. Unfortunately, my sister Jill, and her husband Jacob, have found themselves with several such events the last few years and the financial burden has become immense.
Jill is a 5th grade school teacher. She teaches at an elementary where their daughter, Gracie, also attends as a 4th grader. Jacob is currently unable to work due to severe, chronic lower back troubles. He has been in this state for a while, and the debilitating degenerative disc disease has progressed to a point that most days he struggles to even sit up for more than a couple hours at a time.
A bit of a backstory - about 15 years ago, Jacob first started having back pains and sought medical help. After many months of physical therapy and some other tests, it was discovered that he had a degenerative disc in his lower back, at L5-S1. At that point, it wasn’t crippling or too painful for him, but he did need to change his job at a lawn care to more of a desk job. Throughout several years after that, pains would get worse for a time and they found that cortisone shots every 6 months or so helped tremendously. Eventually, years later, cortisone shots stopped helping; as did chiropractic care, physical therapy and other homeopathic remedies. He has met with surgeons throughout the years, but surgery was never recommended until a few years ago. The surgeon needed some additional testing, and those tests were scheduled, one being a discogram.
However, the week the discogram was first scheduled, Jacob had a severe DKA due to a medication change that nearly killed him. He was put in the ICU for 4 days. Apart from all the medical expenses of therapy and other tests throughout the years, this hospital stay was thousands and thousands of dollars.
Back to the discogram - they got it rescheduled after he was released from the hospital. However, when the insurance year rolled over, the doctor that was scheduled to do the discogram was out of network. So Jacob had to find a new pain management doctor to see on a monthly basis as well as to do this procedure. They found a new doctor, and the discogram was scheduled for the spring of 2020. That was when COVID was spreading through the USA, and doctors and hospitals were experiencing chaotic times. So, the discogram was cancelled by his doctor until further notice. Finally, the doctor was able to schedule it for Jan 7th, and Jacob finally was able to get that test done, which was needed for the surgeon to have a better understanding of what he needed to do for Jacob’s spinal surgery. Unfortunately, the month before the discogram, another very unexpected medical emergency came up.
In mid December, Jacob was diagnosed with a staph infection on his scalp, and was admitted into the hospital. He was there for 4 days, again, incurring thousands of dollars in medical bills. When he was released, they thought it was done with, but a sizable cyst formed (about 2.5x2 inches at the base and protruding off the scalp about 1.5 inches) in the wound left by the staph infection. Consulting their PCP, he was shocked and very concerned about the size of the cyst, as well as the discharge from the wound. He referred Jacob to a plastic surgeon for what they were told would be a quick, noninvasive outpatient procedure. They met with the plastic surgeon only to be met with the same shock and concern as with the PCP. The surgeon came to the conclusion that a more drastic step must be taken, and surgery was required. A surgery that would once again add thousands and thousands to their growing medical debt.
Also, within the last year, Jill unfortunately had need for surgery. She began having pains in her midsection and consulted with her doctor. After some tests, it was discovered that she had an egg sized cyst on her ovary, and the ovary needed to be surgically removed. During surgery, severe endometriosis was discovered and so a total hysterectomy was performed by the surgeon. This procedure maxed out Jill’s side of their deductible for 2020.
Jacob and Jill were able to take care of most of their medical bills throughout the years of Jacob having tests or procedures for his spine, and were saving for his eventual back surgery. However, these other medical emergencies have simply added up to huge amounts even with major health insurance. And Jacob still has major surgery on his back in the near future. He meets with the surgeon on Feb 2nd to go over the discogram, and a recent MRI. They will discuss the type of surgery that will take place, how many discs the surgeon wants to remove (the lowest 2 discs are the main concern and will be removed, possibly more) and what type of vertebral fusion may need to be done. Jacob was told that surgery on his spine will likely be within 3-6 months. Recovery time is unknown, as well as how long he will need assistance after surgery.
Suffice to say, their financial burdens are immense, and there are more to come. Any support you are able to give would be greatly appreciated. And if you cannot help in a monetary fashion, they are in need of prayers. Prayers for Jacob’s cyst on his scalp which is scheduled for surgery on Jan 28th, prayers for his meeting with the surgeon Feb 2nd, prayers for the spinal surgery that will be scheduled later this year, for healing after the surgery. And prayers for the mental, emotional & spiritual strain all of this has put on this family for years, and for some time yet to come. Thank you & God bless.
Organizer and beneficiary
Joshua Glanville
Organizer
Wichita, KS
Jacob Penna
Beneficiary