2022 Lindsay Clark's Medical Expenses

For those of you that are not familiar with my niece, Lindsay Clark and her ongoing medical issues, let me recap:

In 2012-Injured her back playing sports, did physical therapy, and conservative treatment

In September 2013-She underwent an epidural procedure, spinal fluid leaked, and in October, she had to have a blood patch to correct the leak. Following this, she began to lose feeling/strength in her bilateral lower extremities and then, ultimately, her dominant right arm. She was then confined to a wheelchair, where she depended on her mom and younger sister to assist with everyday living activities.

For the next three years, she was in/out of various children's hospitals undergoing rigourous testing and further procedures. She could not walk, only transferred out of her wheelchair using her left arm. After spending several months at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, they were able to retrain her brain (like with stroke patients) to get her to move her arms and legs again. She was able to come home In October 2016, her Senior year, and finished the school year, walking across the stage to end her year.

Her journey did not stop there. After graduating high school, Lindsay went off to OSU in Stillwater, where she had five back surgeries, Achilles tendon lengthening and release in her foot, multiple knee injections, and never missed school. Yet, with the ongoing issues and chronic pain, she pushed herself to graduate with honors. While her ultimate goal is to proceed on to medical school, her health has her going down a detour first.

Lindsay has had ongoing cardiac and pulmonary issues throughout her senior year of college and since graduation. More and more frequently, Lindsay has arrhythmias and thus ends up in ER with a heart rate >175. She is prone to recurrent respiratory infections, has decreased exercise tolerance, a heart murmur, fatigue, and sometimes dizziness. After further pulmonary functioning testing and cardiac testing, Lindsay was found to have 50% lung function due to the restriction on her lungs. She was diagnosed with Pectus Excavatum. This is typically diagnosed at birth or teen years when kids reach puberty/growth changes. Only 2-3 doctors in the United States are trained surgically to make corrections to this in adults. Lindsay's case has been deemed severe as her cardiopulmonary compression has been considered severe. If not corrected, she will continue to have arrhythmias as her sternum (breastbone) is crushing her heart and lungs. Without surgery for correction, this can lead to fatal consequences.

She is scheduled to go to the Mayo Clinic in Phoneix, AZ, for her surgery and post-surgical care in November 2022. Lindsay will be undergoing a Pectus Excavatum Repair and Forced Sternal Elevation. Let me break that down in simple terms: they will slice her chest open just like in open heart surgery from top to bottom, cutting through the sternum, forcing her ribs and muscles to be spread apart. Then, if that isn't enough, they will place three titanium bars between the bones, lots of wiring and clamping of muscles to stretch the space between to give her heart and lungs room to expand (literally breathe and pump correctly).

Lindsay and her mom will have to remain in Phoenix for four weeks. Her surgery is on November 8th, but she has to be there a few days early for pre-op and remain there afterward for post-surgical follow-up, even once released from the hospital.

Lindsay and her mom will have to live in Phoenix during this timeframe for a minimum of four weeks, barring no complications. If the costs associated with that weren't enough, Mayo does not take her mom's BCBS-Federal medical insurance. So Lindsay and her mom will be out a ridiculous amount of money. They have filled out hardship paperwork, but still, the costs will be more than her mom makes in a year.

Overall, Lindsay will be undergoing a very high-risk surgery that requires future surgeries. I did not mention that Lindsay still has a pending 6th back surgery, hand surgery and shoulder surgery that must be completed on top of all this. Still, they are not a high priority due to the severity of her Pectus Excavatum.

Please find it in the bottom of your heart to help in any way you can, as I know Lindsay has endured more than any child should ever have to. The financial strain on this family is going to be insurmountable. Lindsay can't work due to her disability, and her mom financially supports her and her younger sister, who is now in college at OSU, by herself.

Please offer your assistance and prayers to Lindsay and her family.