Help Jolene Beat Renal Failure and Type I Diabetes
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Jolene’s Fight
Jolene has been dealing with Type I diabetes since she was a young teenager. Now 32, and for the past 4 years Jolene has had significant health complications caused by this disease. The effects of the diabetes have been devastating to her body and abilities to function daily. On top of Type I diabetes Jolene also suffers from Osteonecrosis in both shoulders which causes severe pain and limits physical activity. Dealing with daily insulin injections and countless doctor visits Jolene stayed positive and stuck to her treatment plan vigilantly. After being misdiagnosed for over 6 months by multiple hospitals and doctors Jolene was told she was in end stage renal failure. She was forced to start an aggressive kidney dialysis plan due remove over 80lbs of fluid from her body, the delay in starting these procedures caused congestive heart failure (A condition where the heart does not pump blood as it should)
Details on Jolene’s recent hospitalizations and life-threatening complications
In December of 2019 Jolene feel ill due to an infection from her pump site. This caused her to go into sepsis and started her downward spiral. After being hospital until Christmas Eve, she was readmitted into the hospital due to an issue with her Fistula (Access in a vain for dialysis). This was causing Steal Syndrome in her fingers or known as a loss of blood flow to the fingers.
During this hospital the doctors determined she need surgery to reroute her Fistula. The procedure was successful but in recovery Jolene was given pain medicine and this sent her into Cardiac Arrest. The doctors and nurses administered Narcan and CPR to save her life. After a few weeks Jolene returned home.
After only being home for 2 days things took a drastic turn for the worst. On January 21st Jolene fell in her home and broke her tibia and fibula near her ankle. After numerous during the next week to manipulate the bones back in place. The doctors determine the only way to successfully repair her leg was to perform surgery and place an external fixator on her leg. (Shown in pictures) During this procedure Jolene again fell into Cardiac Arrest had to be resuscitated by the surgical team. At this time, it was determined she could not longer be sedated for any form of surgery.
For six weeks Jolene waited while doctors hoped her leg would heal as it was. Jolene started rehabbing to regain her body strength from the extended hospitals stays. While working on her rehab Jolene’s foot developed an infection which spread into her bone. The severity of the infection was bad enough that it could not be treated by medicine. She was told the only course of action was amputation below the knee.
On March 11th Jolene’s life changed forever, she had her left leg amputated below the knee. Due to her previous issues in surgery the operation was performed with only a nerve block and under twilight sedation. The operation was successful, and Jolene was transferred to a local rehabilitation center after just a week post-op.
Rehabilitation was difficult, but Jolene was determined to succeed and get back home with visions of becoming the owner of a new and improved leg (prosthetic), returning to as normal a life as possible. Jolene was scheduled and ready to come on April 16th. The day before her homecoming she had another cardiac arrest episode caused by a edema. She was again given CPR and transferred back into the hospital, where she had to be on a ventilator for three days.
While Jolene is in the hospital we were informed that the Rehab will not accept her back. Administration determined that due to lack of future insurance payments she would not be accepted back into the program.
Recommended Treatment
· A minimum of six weeks in an Acute Rehab Facility
· Convert to home-based hemodialysis
· Fitting and additional rehab for prosthetic leg/foot
· Kidney Transplant (If she can remain stable)
Where your money will go
Our goal is to raise $20,000 to help Jolene with the following:
· Physical rehabilitation costs
*Estimated at $350-$750/per day out of pocket for at least six weeks*
· On-Going Home Care Costs
· Any other out-of-pocket expense that she may incur during rehab
Thank you for reading Jolene’s story. We appreciate any help or contribution, no matter how big or small! Please share our campaign link on social media and with your friends. We will keep you posted on the use of funds and her progress going forward. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us directly.
Jolene has been dealing with Type I diabetes since she was a young teenager. Now 32, and for the past 4 years Jolene has had significant health complications caused by this disease. The effects of the diabetes have been devastating to her body and abilities to function daily. On top of Type I diabetes Jolene also suffers from Osteonecrosis in both shoulders which causes severe pain and limits physical activity. Dealing with daily insulin injections and countless doctor visits Jolene stayed positive and stuck to her treatment plan vigilantly. After being misdiagnosed for over 6 months by multiple hospitals and doctors Jolene was told she was in end stage renal failure. She was forced to start an aggressive kidney dialysis plan due remove over 80lbs of fluid from her body, the delay in starting these procedures caused congestive heart failure (A condition where the heart does not pump blood as it should)
Details on Jolene’s recent hospitalizations and life-threatening complications
In December of 2019 Jolene feel ill due to an infection from her pump site. This caused her to go into sepsis and started her downward spiral. After being hospital until Christmas Eve, she was readmitted into the hospital due to an issue with her Fistula (Access in a vain for dialysis). This was causing Steal Syndrome in her fingers or known as a loss of blood flow to the fingers.
During this hospital the doctors determined she need surgery to reroute her Fistula. The procedure was successful but in recovery Jolene was given pain medicine and this sent her into Cardiac Arrest. The doctors and nurses administered Narcan and CPR to save her life. After a few weeks Jolene returned home.
After only being home for 2 days things took a drastic turn for the worst. On January 21st Jolene fell in her home and broke her tibia and fibula near her ankle. After numerous during the next week to manipulate the bones back in place. The doctors determine the only way to successfully repair her leg was to perform surgery and place an external fixator on her leg. (Shown in pictures) During this procedure Jolene again fell into Cardiac Arrest had to be resuscitated by the surgical team. At this time, it was determined she could not longer be sedated for any form of surgery.
For six weeks Jolene waited while doctors hoped her leg would heal as it was. Jolene started rehabbing to regain her body strength from the extended hospitals stays. While working on her rehab Jolene’s foot developed an infection which spread into her bone. The severity of the infection was bad enough that it could not be treated by medicine. She was told the only course of action was amputation below the knee.
On March 11th Jolene’s life changed forever, she had her left leg amputated below the knee. Due to her previous issues in surgery the operation was performed with only a nerve block and under twilight sedation. The operation was successful, and Jolene was transferred to a local rehabilitation center after just a week post-op.
Rehabilitation was difficult, but Jolene was determined to succeed and get back home with visions of becoming the owner of a new and improved leg (prosthetic), returning to as normal a life as possible. Jolene was scheduled and ready to come on April 16th. The day before her homecoming she had another cardiac arrest episode caused by a edema. She was again given CPR and transferred back into the hospital, where she had to be on a ventilator for three days.
While Jolene is in the hospital we were informed that the Rehab will not accept her back. Administration determined that due to lack of future insurance payments she would not be accepted back into the program.
Recommended Treatment
· A minimum of six weeks in an Acute Rehab Facility
· Convert to home-based hemodialysis
· Fitting and additional rehab for prosthetic leg/foot
· Kidney Transplant (If she can remain stable)
Where your money will go
Our goal is to raise $20,000 to help Jolene with the following:
· Physical rehabilitation costs
*Estimated at $350-$750/per day out of pocket for at least six weeks*
· On-Going Home Care Costs
· Any other out-of-pocket expense that she may incur during rehab
Thank you for reading Jolene’s story. We appreciate any help or contribution, no matter how big or small! Please share our campaign link on social media and with your friends. We will keep you posted on the use of funds and her progress going forward. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us directly.
Fundraising team: Swartz Family (2)
Pete Koop
Organizer
Reading, PA
Andrew Heebner
Team member
Jessica Heebner
Team member
