Your Dollar Will Make A Difference For Layna

I apologize for the long read, but to understand the situation, you need to know the whole story. This cover picture is of her and her beloved Murphy several years before this mess began. It was the happiest I’d ever known her. Please know, whether you donate or not, I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to read this story. My sister, LaLayna (Layna), is struggling, and all thoughts and prayers are deeply appreciated! I have idolized my sister my entire 40 years. She is the most incredible person I know. She has been my mentor, babysitter, therapist, bank, nurse, protector, armor, hero, and most loyal friend. She has given me everything I have ever needed, and she has never asked for anything in return. She is that way with everyone she meets. If you need anything, she will drive herself into the ground to help you in any way she can. I’ll give you a few examples of her selflessness. I have seen my sister run over with her bike a boy who was bullying me. I have seen her walk miles across town, pulling me in a wagon, because I wanted to see our mother at work. I have seen her care of every sick animal she has come across since she was a young girl. She went to college later in life, and I know she has covered her younger, college-aged friends’ needs. I have seen her pay off a car for a friend who was struggling. She has opened her home for extended periods of time, at no charge, to friends in need. The most selfless thing my sister has ever done is completely abandon her life to care for our mother. Mom had a stroke in 2003. Not the kind of stroke that is completely debilitating. However, that was the beginning of her health going downhill. I moved my daughter, Hayden, and me in with her in 2009. By 2010, it was clear she could no longer work. I cared for her until 2013, when it was clear my husband, Kevin, and I were going to be married. There wasn’t enough room for all of us, and Kevin and I could afford only an apartment. My mother had very little savings and, a multitude of medical issues, and could not afford to live on her own. So my sister graciously opened her and her husband, Jeffery’s, home. She and I worked tirelessly for six weeks to fix up mom’s home of 20 years and sold it. For the first year, everything seemed fine. Sadly, my mother’s health took a turn for the worse and resulted in an empyema. After she “recovered” from that surgery, it was clear she needed full-time care. Layna quit her job as a veterinary technician, a job she was born to do, and immersed herself fully in our mother’s care. Layna dropped everything. Her full-time job became managing all of our mother's medical conditions: severe fibromyalgia, COPD, an inoperable, benign tumor tethering the bottom of her spine, sleep apnea, sinus infections, upper respiratory infections, lung infections. She took her to every neurologist, pulmonologist, GP, pain clinc, physical and occupational therapy, appointment Mom had. She was a round-the-clock-nurse, 24/7/365! She fought for two years to get Mom into a lung study, All Mom had to do was stay clear of a lung infection for 2 weeks. Layna was finally able to get her into the lung study. Sadly, we were about to find out we were fighting the wrong devil. After increasing concerns over our mother's mental deterioration, and being ignored by the doctors when mentioned, Mom became incoherent at one of her lungs study check-ups. After performing every test, they finally conceded to Layna's request for a CT scan of her brain. Mom was diagnosed with a massive tumor in the left lobe of her brain, which we later found out was a deadly glioblastoma. Every time mom went into the hospital, Layna stayed right by her side, through days and nights. This time was no different. We saw Mom through her tumor resection and battled her insurance company and hospital to send her to a rehabilitation facility, which they finally did. However, the insurance company would only authorize rehabilitation for two weeks. Unfortunately, even with all her medical knowledge and years of caring for the sick and disabled, it was no match for caring for a terminally ill person with a glioblastoma. She knew that, and as much as it shattered her heart, we could not bring mom back home. This is nothing compared to what Layna has done for me. I have not spoken about this publicly, only to close friends and family, but now is the time. I have struggled with substance abuse disorder since I was 19. The height of my active addiction came when our mom was diagnosed with her brain tumor. By that time, my family had relocated to Chattanooga. I struggled to bounce between my daughter, who was finishing her third-grade year; my husband, who was in desperate need of a second hip replacement; and helping my sister with my mother. I crumbled under the weight of it all. I was lost, terrified, and dying … quickly. I feared I would beat my mother to heaven. I found myself on Layna’s doorstep June 25, 2017, with all my clothes. I didn’t know what I was doing. All I knew was, she was and is my safe place. We talked for hours. She helped me see that this wasn’t about the pain I was causing everyone else. It was about the pain I was in, had been in for years. She made it ok to ask for help. She got me to make the calls to my insurance company and Journey Pure and say, “I’m not ok. Please help me save my life.” I was ashamed and horrified to ask her to take in my eight-year-old daughter, on top of our dying mother, and just check out. But she made it ok. She’s the one that made it possible for me to save my life. Sadly, my mother died while I was in rehab on July 20, just two days after my daughter’s birthday. Hayden’s paternal grandmother stepped in to take her for a couple of days. However, I couldn’t leave rehab early if I had any hope of staying sober. So, facing the loss of our mother, and without the only other person that could understand the pain, she kept Hayden until her father could finish his current military training. Layna seemed to thrive for about three months. It all started with a cough that just wouldn’t go away and uncontrollable thyroid levels. That led to a few rounds of antibiotics that didn’t work; thyroid med dosage changes, which didn’t help matters; and a suggestion to get rid of her pets. By October she was seriously ill. I came from Chattanooga and, with her doctor’s help, convinced her to go to the ER. As soon as we got to the sign in desk, she fell unconscious. She was quickly rushed back to the ER, while I stood in the shock of what had just happened. After four days in the hospital, it was discovered she had bronchitis, sinusitis, pneumonia, and mono! She was sent home to convalesce, but she didn’t. Since then Layna has been pretty much home bound with a multitude of symptoms: from uncontrollable thyroid levels, dangerously high blood pressure, and rapid heart rate to neurological symptoms that may or may not have resulted in a stroke, to numerous stomach illnesses, upper respiratory problems, and sinus infections. In the past 18 months, she has seen a gastroenterologist, neurologist, cardiologist, endocrinologist, pulmonologist, ENT specialist, psychiatrist, psychologist, allergist, and endodontist. She has had full workups with each “-ologist.” If you know anything about health care, you know that this was all done at great expense. I feel compelled to mention that while dealing with all of this, Layna was personally sued by NHC, the facility my mother was at when she passed. The bill was approximately $14,000. They received every cent of her estate, which covered half of the bill. Then, because my sister signed as “addition signature” (not legal representative because we had no POA or ability to make decisions on our mother’s behalf), they came after her for the other half and were awarded twice that. She quickly received letters for NHC’s lawyer, threatening to have a sheriff come repossess her car. So she scrapped together what money she had left. She has gone through her entire life savings keeping our mother, and now herself, alive. She borrowed what she didn’t have and paid them another $14,000. I am astounded by how many things my sister is good at. She does everything well—except one thing. She does not ask for help from anyone outside her immediate family. It is not pride that keeps her from asking. Layna wants to be the one giving 110% of the time. She wants to be taking care of you, not making her problems your burden. But she needs us now, friends. She needs us to help her save her life. We have found the diagnosis to what is causing this constant systemic crash she is experiencing. It is a simple explanation that no one ever caught. It’s one she and Jeffrey found after a two-month unexplained MRSA infection and watching Root Cause (highly suggested, if you can find it)! She has jaw bone deterioration. Layna had extensive dental work done in her 20s, which included numerous root canals and crowns. Now there is massive infection under the roots of those teeth. Layna’s entire jawbone, upper and lower, is infected. The infection has also eaten completely through her upper left jaw, opening a hole into her sinus cavity and is draining toxic bacteria throughout all her major body systems. All this infection is crippling through her body, which is so busy fighting the bone infections, it can’t fight anything else. Her body is quickly losing this fight. The one and only treatment is to remove all her teeth, scrape the infected tissue out of her jaw bones and sinus cavity, and use bone grafts and dentures while the bones regenerate. And just maybe one day, when she can crawl out of the crippling debt of the useless health care she has received so far, she can get implants. The dental surgeon she saw was amazed that she is walking on her own with the amount of infection she has. Right now, it’s just pure strength of will that keeps her going. This infection can lead to deadly heart disease and plaque in the brain. We don’t have time to spare looking for financial solutions. As you can imagine, this comes at a steep price: $12,000. Because it was caused by a dental issue, it is not covered under medical insurance. Also, because it is such and expensive procedure, payment is required up front. With the financial strains she and her husband are under due to just everything, they don’t have twelve grand just sitting around. Carecredit may become an option if we can raise enough money to get the loan amount reduced. Unfortunately, after years of trying to survive on one income, their debt to income ratio is too high to borrow $12,000 at this time.  The first thing I learned in rehab was how to ask for help. So, I’m asking. Please, even if it’s just $5 you can spare, please help. She’s done so much for so many and is truly deserving. So, I humbly beg, if you can spare anything, please give. If you can’t give, I certainly understand, but ask that you share her story. Also, if you pray, please pray for her now. Thank you, friends, Amber