Stroke Support 4 Lifelong Mets Fan
Donation protected
On Tuesday, June 26th, 2018, we had to have the police called to our home while I, Debi’s daughter, was at work, and my grandmother was the only other person home with her and unable to climb the stairs to check on her own daughter.
During a welfare check that turned into a medical emergency, we eventually learned that my mother, Debi, a lifelong and dedicated Mets fan, suffered a massive stroke only days before her 59th birthday where she and I had grand plans to celebrate at CitiField at the Mets game.
Over the following days, the swelling continued to grow and the neurosurgeon eventually decided it would be best to remove a portion of her skull before it would become life threatening. During and continually, she undergoes regular CAT scans to monitor and measure the progress of swelling.
Despite the great care she has been getting so far, I am still afraid of the bills that are inevitable. And more that will come after. Her Medicare becomes active only in August as she is disabled from lengthily career injuries to her back working in labor field. After the hospital would come rehabilitation to attempt to regain some mobility if there is any chance of it as of to this date, no movement on her left side.
I created this GoFundMe in attempt and hope that perhaps kind souls and fans might support another if just a little in helping with offsetting these medical costs. As the bills come in, I’d gladly share some of the details as I’m still trying to figure out how to sort out how to handle the privacy issues in this situation where she is unable to handle her affairs currently when the insurances switch over.
I dont know what what else to add right now. If there any questions, feel free to ask and I’ll try to respond in an update. Thank you.
UPDATE 08/13/2018: Bills started to come in this past Friday. Here is what we are looking at so far -
Transportation: $750 (currently in dispute as they did not bill her insurance; there will be more coming as she had been transported twice since that bill back to the hospital Emergency Room and discharged after another week and half stay).
1st Hospital/Doctor bill: $340. (This came today. I intend to call the hospital to get this one itemized or for more detail. It states that insurance was billed, but it does not say how much they paid towards it. I've also received her EOB statement from her insurance and am anticipating potential charges from one specialist that is out of network that saw her in the hospital that is around $1500.)
UPDATE 09/03/2018: Bills are still coming in and they are growing. My mother's insurance has declared they are no longer covering her subacute rehab stay because they determined that she isn't making progress fast enough, per the parameters of her plan. Unfortunately, she still has brain swelling and a portion of her skull is still removed to allow the swelling room without interference. As of tomorrow, she is considered self pay in the facility and the staff, with the exception of a very select few has been harrassing and persistent about her coming home where we've repeatedly told them it was not advisable. It was not a safe environment for her or my 78 year old grandmother, who would be the ONLY other person home to care for her during the day. Neither she, or I, are capable to move my mother as she is dead weight, no ability to use her left side to assist us, and as of Friday, only just started a transition from the feeding tube to a blended/mashed/thickened diet.
I increased the requested balance for my mother due to the incoming costs of her nursing care while we are awaiting the Medicaid application process. There is so much that I need but little money to the things that would help her.
Seeking information to gain Power of Attorney to be able to get her the insurance plan she needs is costly, having been quoted in the area of $4000. Also, I've encountered some ethical and integrity questions of some staff at the facility after having been lied to about insurances not paying for ambulance transport for her CAT scan. I worked in the field, doing transports and in the office for a number of companies for 10 years that I knew the representative lied to me and the facility had not been as friendly or cooperative when I called them out on their lies. At this point, while waiting for the information needed for the Medicaid application, we are doing what we can without trying to feel like we are drowning ourselves.
Jerilyn
Debi’s Daughter
During a welfare check that turned into a medical emergency, we eventually learned that my mother, Debi, a lifelong and dedicated Mets fan, suffered a massive stroke only days before her 59th birthday where she and I had grand plans to celebrate at CitiField at the Mets game.
Over the following days, the swelling continued to grow and the neurosurgeon eventually decided it would be best to remove a portion of her skull before it would become life threatening. During and continually, she undergoes regular CAT scans to monitor and measure the progress of swelling.
Despite the great care she has been getting so far, I am still afraid of the bills that are inevitable. And more that will come after. Her Medicare becomes active only in August as she is disabled from lengthily career injuries to her back working in labor field. After the hospital would come rehabilitation to attempt to regain some mobility if there is any chance of it as of to this date, no movement on her left side.
I created this GoFundMe in attempt and hope that perhaps kind souls and fans might support another if just a little in helping with offsetting these medical costs. As the bills come in, I’d gladly share some of the details as I’m still trying to figure out how to sort out how to handle the privacy issues in this situation where she is unable to handle her affairs currently when the insurances switch over.
I dont know what what else to add right now. If there any questions, feel free to ask and I’ll try to respond in an update. Thank you.
UPDATE 08/13/2018: Bills started to come in this past Friday. Here is what we are looking at so far -
Transportation: $750 (currently in dispute as they did not bill her insurance; there will be more coming as she had been transported twice since that bill back to the hospital Emergency Room and discharged after another week and half stay).
1st Hospital/Doctor bill: $340. (This came today. I intend to call the hospital to get this one itemized or for more detail. It states that insurance was billed, but it does not say how much they paid towards it. I've also received her EOB statement from her insurance and am anticipating potential charges from one specialist that is out of network that saw her in the hospital that is around $1500.)
UPDATE 09/03/2018: Bills are still coming in and they are growing. My mother's insurance has declared they are no longer covering her subacute rehab stay because they determined that she isn't making progress fast enough, per the parameters of her plan. Unfortunately, she still has brain swelling and a portion of her skull is still removed to allow the swelling room without interference. As of tomorrow, she is considered self pay in the facility and the staff, with the exception of a very select few has been harrassing and persistent about her coming home where we've repeatedly told them it was not advisable. It was not a safe environment for her or my 78 year old grandmother, who would be the ONLY other person home to care for her during the day. Neither she, or I, are capable to move my mother as she is dead weight, no ability to use her left side to assist us, and as of Friday, only just started a transition from the feeding tube to a blended/mashed/thickened diet.
I increased the requested balance for my mother due to the incoming costs of her nursing care while we are awaiting the Medicaid application process. There is so much that I need but little money to the things that would help her.
Seeking information to gain Power of Attorney to be able to get her the insurance plan she needs is costly, having been quoted in the area of $4000. Also, I've encountered some ethical and integrity questions of some staff at the facility after having been lied to about insurances not paying for ambulance transport for her CAT scan. I worked in the field, doing transports and in the office for a number of companies for 10 years that I knew the representative lied to me and the facility had not been as friendly or cooperative when I called them out on their lies. At this point, while waiting for the information needed for the Medicaid application, we are doing what we can without trying to feel like we are drowning ourselves.
Jerilyn
Debi’s Daughter
Organizer
Jerilyn Barbee
Organizer
Garfield, NJ
