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There is nothing more devastating than a parent seeing their child’s pain and not being able to take it themselves nor change it.
My name is Denise and my daughter Erika has had a history of fighting spinal scoliosis since she was in first grade. Her growth was so rapid—the spine went out of control. It wasn’t before long Erika was coming home everyday from school with terrible back pain. The curves were so aggressive as she was growing so fast it was apparent at 64 degrees thoracic and 78 degrees lumbar , the doctors all agreed that an anterior & posterior spinal fusion surgery was inevitable.
With every visit to every specialist in New York, Boston, and Connecticut, I could not get any other diagnosis fusion was pertinent and her curves had been actively progressing almost as fast as the days were passing. Dr. Patel at Yale said she needed to undergo a full anterior & posterior SPINAL FUSION using her own rib & hip bone to rebuild her spine. The surgery would take him 18 hours to perform so he said Dr. Kostuik at Johns Hopkins would be the only surgeon he would recomend as he would have another surgeon to work with and work in a shorter time frame for all of the surgeries.
On her 15th birthday Erika courageously underwent this most devastating surgery. We are so greatful for the eight dear friends & relatives that donated the 8 pints of blood, in which we were able to get through The American Red Cross who screened it, packeaged & sent.
Reliving this to tell her story is extremely difficult as the emotions are all brought back to the surface. It was a year of healing and a second year with extreme pain but she is a strong willed & a very determined wonderful person that will not stop being a beautiful & caring productive human being.
Through all of her pain she managed to work her way through college and was finally feeling well—she was active and walking the campus of her college and working as a bank teller. She was doing so phenomenal and was working so hard.
Just when her pain was beginning to feel bearable, she was driving to work and the car to the left of her did not see her and broadsided her. The impact began another awful sciatica back injury she couldn't walk more than 10-15 feet without that horrible sciatic pain and their lawyers blamed it on her pre-existing condition. No compensation.
After the car accident & series of surgeries, her life of pain is becoming unbearable with no definite options. Every time she begins to feel the worst is behind her something happens that she is facing yet again. Now she has been diagnosed with a PINACLE FRACTURE. Our future outlook of this continuous road is painful enough without the burden of all the expenses that have been accumulating. She forces herself to keep working—paying for insurance and for an additional insurance she purchases for her asthmatic condition. With the outlook of surgeries ahead her time out of work & life expenses are adding to the hefty strain. CT SCAN & MRI with HEFTY $900 & $800 co pays along with the asthma she was born with. Medical expenses are so astronomical and now she is in need of more scans to compare what is happening
She is not one to tell me she doesn’t want to break my heart she smiles though all of her life’s endurances yet her road is again with continual pain, can’t even walk from the car to the store without having to sit the pain is constant. She has been in sciatic pain for so long and yet still is a super human being working and taking a course with the New Haven Chamber for the “Leadership Program” to help people in need—collecting and delivering items for the poor & needy.
She didn’t even tell me the agony she was suffering since the fracture not to worry or sadden me, but even through her beautiful smile, from the way she was standing it was quite obvious. Asking her brought the observation to reality something is terribly wrong.
Doctors are telling her she has to be fused completely fused but 50/50 chance they will fuse her out of pain. If they fuse her in more pain it is irreversable and has many risks.
With all of her medications & co pays it has gotten to the point she has been unable to reschedule necessary appointments for follow ups and also keep up with all of her home expenses. Not knowing what is to come for the future of my daughter is overwhelming. I have never asked for anything from anyone. I dedicated my life to giving. This is a difficult thing to do to ask for support for my daughter's difficult medical journey ahead. So many people suffer; I thank you in advance for even taking the time to care enough to read our life, even if you are unable to contribute prayers are always welcome. Thank you from my heart for giving me this forum to share the pain.
My name is Denise and my daughter Erika has had a history of fighting spinal scoliosis since she was in first grade. Her growth was so rapid—the spine went out of control. It wasn’t before long Erika was coming home everyday from school with terrible back pain. The curves were so aggressive as she was growing so fast it was apparent at 64 degrees thoracic and 78 degrees lumbar , the doctors all agreed that an anterior & posterior spinal fusion surgery was inevitable.
With every visit to every specialist in New York, Boston, and Connecticut, I could not get any other diagnosis fusion was pertinent and her curves had been actively progressing almost as fast as the days were passing. Dr. Patel at Yale said she needed to undergo a full anterior & posterior SPINAL FUSION using her own rib & hip bone to rebuild her spine. The surgery would take him 18 hours to perform so he said Dr. Kostuik at Johns Hopkins would be the only surgeon he would recomend as he would have another surgeon to work with and work in a shorter time frame for all of the surgeries.
On her 15th birthday Erika courageously underwent this most devastating surgery. We are so greatful for the eight dear friends & relatives that donated the 8 pints of blood, in which we were able to get through The American Red Cross who screened it, packeaged & sent.
Reliving this to tell her story is extremely difficult as the emotions are all brought back to the surface. It was a year of healing and a second year with extreme pain but she is a strong willed & a very determined wonderful person that will not stop being a beautiful & caring productive human being.
Through all of her pain she managed to work her way through college and was finally feeling well—she was active and walking the campus of her college and working as a bank teller. She was doing so phenomenal and was working so hard.
Just when her pain was beginning to feel bearable, she was driving to work and the car to the left of her did not see her and broadsided her. The impact began another awful sciatica back injury she couldn't walk more than 10-15 feet without that horrible sciatic pain and their lawyers blamed it on her pre-existing condition. No compensation.
After the car accident & series of surgeries, her life of pain is becoming unbearable with no definite options. Every time she begins to feel the worst is behind her something happens that she is facing yet again. Now she has been diagnosed with a PINACLE FRACTURE. Our future outlook of this continuous road is painful enough without the burden of all the expenses that have been accumulating. She forces herself to keep working—paying for insurance and for an additional insurance she purchases for her asthmatic condition. With the outlook of surgeries ahead her time out of work & life expenses are adding to the hefty strain. CT SCAN & MRI with HEFTY $900 & $800 co pays along with the asthma she was born with. Medical expenses are so astronomical and now she is in need of more scans to compare what is happening
She is not one to tell me she doesn’t want to break my heart she smiles though all of her life’s endurances yet her road is again with continual pain, can’t even walk from the car to the store without having to sit the pain is constant. She has been in sciatic pain for so long and yet still is a super human being working and taking a course with the New Haven Chamber for the “Leadership Program” to help people in need—collecting and delivering items for the poor & needy.
She didn’t even tell me the agony she was suffering since the fracture not to worry or sadden me, but even through her beautiful smile, from the way she was standing it was quite obvious. Asking her brought the observation to reality something is terribly wrong.
Doctors are telling her she has to be fused completely fused but 50/50 chance they will fuse her out of pain. If they fuse her in more pain it is irreversable and has many risks.
With all of her medications & co pays it has gotten to the point she has been unable to reschedule necessary appointments for follow ups and also keep up with all of her home expenses. Not knowing what is to come for the future of my daughter is overwhelming. I have never asked for anything from anyone. I dedicated my life to giving. This is a difficult thing to do to ask for support for my daughter's difficult medical journey ahead. So many people suffer; I thank you in advance for even taking the time to care enough to read our life, even if you are unable to contribute prayers are always welcome. Thank you from my heart for giving me this forum to share the pain.
Organizer and beneficiary
Erika Parri
Beneficiary