Wendy Lee's Recovery

Help Wendy, a Kind, Hardworking Moab Local, Heal from Major Surgery Without Losing Everything

I’m creating this fundraiser for Wendy Lee who is going through an incredibly hard time. She just had major abdominal surgery and cannot work for a few weeks and has no cushion. She’s the kind of person who shows up for others—quietly, generously, and without expectation. And now, she needs our help.

About ten days ago, she was just finishing a shift at work when she suddenly became violently ill. She described it like this:

“I started having stomach pains with immediate nausea and vomiting. I went to the ER and was told it was a stomach virus. But by the next morning, I was in extreme pain and vomiting again. I returned to the ER and was eventually diagnosed with a small bowel obstruction. They admitted me overnight. Two days later, I was in surgery to remove 10 inches of necrotic bowel.”

She spent 6 days in the hospital recovering from this emergency surgery. Her body is still healing. The doctors told her not to work for 6 weeks—but like many people living paycheck to paycheck, she doesn’t have that luxury. She has no medical leave, no short-term disability, and no health insurance.

“I was told I’d get insurance after a year, and that year was up in March. But when I asked, they said I had to wait until November open enrollment. So here I am—zero income, no insurance, a stack of bills, and trying to recover from major abdominal surgery.”

She’s applying for Medicaid and doing everything she can, but it takes time to get this processed. She’s terrified of falling behind on rent, car payments, phone bills, and prescriptions. Even basic necessities like food and toiletries will be out of her reach if she cannot get some help from her community.

She’s not someone who asks for much. In fact, she’s supported others’ GoFundMe campaigns and local causes over the years. But now she finds herself on the other side of things—and it’s humbling: “I’m only looking for help to get me through this unpaid time. Just a little cushion so I don’t lose everything while I heal. It’s beyond humiliating to ask. But I don’t know what else to do.”

For those in Moab, you might remember her as the florist at City Market for seven years. She’s been a steady, kind part of this community for years.

So, if you can chip in even a small amount, it would mean the world to her. And if you can’t donate right now, sharing this with your circles helps more than you know.

Let’s surround her with the same care she’s quietly given to others.

With gratitude,

Cherise Udell

Castle Valley, UT