Who This Is For and Why

Hello, my name is Melissa and I am the granddaughter of Wanda who is 92 years young!

I don’t even know how to begin finding the words to describe my grandma that would come close to doing her justice because I don’t think there are words, in any language, grand enough to capture how incredible she truly is. My grandma is a real life wonder woman and survivor who inspires me everyday.

I am starting this campaign in order to help her pay down, or better yet eliminate, her medical rehabilitation bill. By doing this, we can solve two problems at once: significantly reducing or paying off the bill would ease her financial stress and ensure the house — which she lives in and hopes to keep in the family after she passes — will not need to be sold in order to settle the debt.

Wanda has spent her life selflessly caring for others, always going above and beyond to ensure that everyone — including me — had what they needed. Now, I’m doing everything I can to return the love and support she’s given me, because I’m deeply grateful for all she’s done.

The Nightmare and The Miracle

In late December 2024, Wanda was taken by ambulance to the hospital where it was later determined she had COVID. She became critically ill, and the doctors spoke with me about end-of-life decisions, as there was a real possibility she would not survive.

She was in pain, hallucinating, unable to eat, severely thin, and crying out for her mother to help her. Seeing my grandma like that shattered me.

Somehow, by nothing short of a miracle, she survived! Her fight wasn’t over though because as an added complication, she then developed COVID pneumonia where she required oxygen consistently and her lungs struggled to clear the fluid build-up.

But yet again, she made it through!

Although Wanda survived, she was still very sick. She was not able to go home and needed to go to a rehabilitation facility to build back her strength and stabilize further.

The Fight to Afford Care

Wanda entered the rehabilitation facility the first week of January 2025.

After just one month, Wanda’s insurance stopped paying, claiming she no longer needed the services — despite the fact that she still required help with nearly every basic task and was still dependent on oxygen. We appealed the decision, but her insurance still denied her services.

The social workers informed me that Wanda’s insurance has a reputation for cutting off services far too early — long before patients are stable enough to be safely discharged.

This is when panic began to set in because the monthly out-of-pocket charge was more than Wanda could afford, and she was nowhere near stable enough to return home.

The social workers then informed me that the only remaining option was to try to get her approved for Medicaid. Not only would Medicaid approval help with her rehabilitation care costs, it would also open the doors to long-term programs and services she would need when she was ready to discharge, so I began that process for her. For those who are unfamiliar, applying for Medicaid is an incredibly difficult, drawn-out, and stressful experience.

A few weeks after submitting the application, Medicaid responded stating Wanda was denied, but noted one task that needed to be completed in order for her application to be re-reviewed for approval. When I spoke to an agent and asked if this one task was really all that needed to be done, they confirmed it was.

After following the instructions provided by Medicaid and submitting all of the required documentation, we received a letter a few weeks later stating she was still denied. We were astounded. Much to our dismay, we endured a few more months of delays and being led in circles by Medicaid before they ultimately denied her benefits, which was crushing.

I consulted an attorney to explore any other possible options or solutions, but despite sharing my frustrations, they confirmed there were none — it was a dead end.

I was seeing firsthand the overwhelming obstacles and barriers that older adults face in obtaining essential long-term care- a reality that is both shocking and infuriating.

It was a terrible position to be in, but there was nothing else that could be done. Until Wanda was stable and had a safe discharge plan, she had to stay.

Finally Home, but…..

By June 2025, Wanda was finally— and thankfully—stable enough to return home, but she now faces a large bill that has become a significant source of stress.

Wanda’s primary wish is for the house to remain in the family after she passes, but if this bill is not fully or significantly paid down by the time that occurs (or possibly even before she passes) our family would have no choice but to sell the house to settle the remaining balance.

I do not want my grandma to stress about this bill or possibly losing the house. I want her final years to be peaceful and for her to be taken care of because she truly deserves that.

Your Support Can and Will Make a Difference

Please consider donating to help pay down this bill or better yet, eliminate it! Your one donation will contribute to resolving two issues!

Any amount helps and we are forever grateful for whatever you can do. If you are unable to donate, please consider sharing Wanda’s story.

Your support means more than words can express! Thank you for being part of her journey.