3rd brain surgery?/bankruptcy
Donation protected
It's been a crazy year. Since I was a child, I always had awful headaches and dizzy spells. In June 2015, I awakened to my eye looking outward. Very concerned, I ran to my primary care. After a misread MRI, stating there were no masses etc., my doctor sent me again after 3 months.
This time, the MRI was read as having a tumor on my brainstem. I also had hydrosephalus, which was building rather quickly and a chiari malformation.
The last week in September, I was feeling incredibly dizzy, and fell into a wall before morning mass. After the 7:30, I went straight to the ER and was admitted for an endoscopic third ventriculostomy as well as a dangerous biopsy. They believe they have ruled out cancer.
Either way, after healing for a few weeks, one incision became so infected with a staph infection, that I was re-admitted to have a second, less invasive surgery.
Unfortunately, I am unable to afford "affordable health care," and I keep getting bill after bill. Thus far, with the help of some charity care from Winthrop, I am up to $90+k in hospital bills. I have not yet received any bills from the second hospital stay.
I had a first gofundme account, which was shut down. It was a huge help with paying household bills from the work I missed. (Musicians don't get paid if they don't work, unfortunately.) I was also able to pay some smaller medical bills with it, and am incredibly grateful for it.
I am not asking anyone who has donated already, but if anyone is willing to pass this on, I would be eternally grateful. As of now, I dread the thought of filing for bankruptcy, but it is my only option. I am a single mother of a 17 year old daughter. She is struggling with my illness, as I am very tired all the time and have many headaches. On top of the brain surgeries, my mother fell down the stairs helping me do laundry, and broke 9 ribs, her pelvis, collar bone etc. It has been a rough few months.
Any help is tremendously appreciated. I know money is hard to come by for everyone. If there is nothing moniarily that can be given, we ask for prayers. They are very real. And thank you for the generosity of people until this point. God bless!
This time, the MRI was read as having a tumor on my brainstem. I also had hydrosephalus, which was building rather quickly and a chiari malformation.
The last week in September, I was feeling incredibly dizzy, and fell into a wall before morning mass. After the 7:30, I went straight to the ER and was admitted for an endoscopic third ventriculostomy as well as a dangerous biopsy. They believe they have ruled out cancer.
Either way, after healing for a few weeks, one incision became so infected with a staph infection, that I was re-admitted to have a second, less invasive surgery.
Unfortunately, I am unable to afford "affordable health care," and I keep getting bill after bill. Thus far, with the help of some charity care from Winthrop, I am up to $90+k in hospital bills. I have not yet received any bills from the second hospital stay.
I had a first gofundme account, which was shut down. It was a huge help with paying household bills from the work I missed. (Musicians don't get paid if they don't work, unfortunately.) I was also able to pay some smaller medical bills with it, and am incredibly grateful for it.
I am not asking anyone who has donated already, but if anyone is willing to pass this on, I would be eternally grateful. As of now, I dread the thought of filing for bankruptcy, but it is my only option. I am a single mother of a 17 year old daughter. She is struggling with my illness, as I am very tired all the time and have many headaches. On top of the brain surgeries, my mother fell down the stairs helping me do laundry, and broke 9 ribs, her pelvis, collar bone etc. It has been a rough few months.
Any help is tremendously appreciated. I know money is hard to come by for everyone. If there is nothing moniarily that can be given, we ask for prayers. They are very real. And thank you for the generosity of people until this point. God bless!
Organizer
Elissa Hanson
Organizer
Westbury, NY
