Darcy, A Helping Professional Who Needs Help

Linda Payer and Sherry Fuller Bordewyk are organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Darcy Fuller.

Who are we and who are we trying to help?

My name is Linda Payer. My niece, Sherry Fuller Bordewyk and I are organizing this fundraiser for Darcy Fuller - our niece and sister, respectively.

Darcy has been a natural caregiver her entire life, rescuing animals and people alike. It came as no surprise that she chose to earn her bachelor's degree in social work at the Univerity of South Dakota in Vermillion, S.D. She then devoted most of her career to helping others through her social work in South Dakota, Iowa and Colorado. One of her career stints was as a home health aide, helping individuals with daily living activities such as housework, meal preparation, and medication monitoring - all the while encouraging clients to be as independent as possible.

Never in her wildest dreams did Darcy expect to be the one needing such care. That's why we're asking for your help on her behalf. As a single person who is unable to work due to her disabilities, Darcy needs financial assistance to help pay her ongoing medical bills and to help make her home more accessible for her wheelchair, and occasionally her walker. Now at age 56, Darcy has been struggling with countless physical health challenges since before 2010. An autoimmune disease, back surgeries, a life-threatening infection, and much more have consumed her life. Her wheelchair and motorized scooter are her primary modes of mobility. For short periods, she can use a walker - but only by wearing special shoes and assistive leg braces.

We have witnessed first-hand Darcy's courage in the face of fight after fight for her life through multiple surgeries and illnesses. Whenever she felt ready to throw in the towel, she leaned on her faith in God and the love and support of family members to summon the strength and determination to battle on.

From Sherry: "My little sister is my hero. I have watched her endure excruciating pain, hardship and the loss of her mobility and independence over the last several years. I have been by her side through her surgeries and witnessed her suffering. Each and every time, she has dug deep and mustered the strength, determination and faith to soldier on. Her chronic pain makes every day a challenge. I know how much it weighs on her to be financially and physically dependent on her family, especially our aging parents. (I live in a different state than they do.) Helping Darcy financially will help ease the burden on our parents. That in turn, will help Darcy's emotional well-being. I'd love to see my sister's ready smile and hearty laugh return and take the place of her tears.

How will your gift help Darcy?

Darcy's primary goals are to pay her medical bills and to regain some of her independence. For the past several years, she has been financially and physically dependent on her immediate family, especially her aging parents (79) who have their own health issues. She has lived primarily with her parents for the past few years, relying heavily on them for caregiving; daily chores, such as laundry and meal preparation; and transportation to and from her numerous medical appointments.

Darcy's multiple diagnoses require her to have ongoing regular medical appointments and take numerous expensive medications. Her medical bills have mounted after recent surgeries. She needs assistive devices so that she can drive herself to her appointments. Because she lives in an underserved area of Minnesota, she must drive distances to her appointments with specialists, such as her rheumatologist. In addition, Darcy wants to return to living in her own home, which is a 15-minute drive from her parents' place. However, her house will require some modifications to be accessible for her wheelchair and motorized scooter and to allow her to do her own laundry and dishes, as well as safely shower.

Now she faces yet another hurdle. Darcy's autoimmune disease (psoriatic arthritis) and required medications have caused numerous oral infections, which can quickly lead to other health issues. Therefore, she must have oral surgery in March to remove nearly all of her teeth and be fitted for dentures. This will be a lengthy and expensive undertaking.

Darcy draws some disability income. Unfortunately, it is not enough to cover her ongoing medical-related expenses in addition to her living expenses. For example, did you know that Medicare will cover only one mobility device in a five-year period? When a person is reliant on wheelchairs, motorized scooters and walkers like Darcy is, those devices wear out long before five years. Also, Darcy does not have Medicaid.

What is our hope?

While asking for help feels uncomfortable, our request comes from a place of deep love, care and concern for our niece and sister. Darcy has always been an advocate for others - especially those who were down on their luck. Now we need to be an advocate for her when she is down on her luck.

If you find it in your heart and are financially able to donate, our family will be forever grateful. Every gift - no matter the amount - will make a difference. If you are not able to give, please consider sharing our fundraiser with others. And, of course, we know Darcy would greatly appreciate your prayers. We believe in the power of prayer!

What are Darcy's health struggles?

Darcy's physical health issues started when she suffered complications from her first back surgery in 2010. At the young age of 43, she went from the hospital to a skilled care facility where she needed to learn to walk again. She also sustained some nerve damage that never fully repaired itself. By 2020 she needed a second back surgery, but it had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To help manage her pain, she had a spinal cord stimulator implanted. By the time Darcy was finally able to have her second back surgery in 2021, she had been wheelchair-bound for two years and had sustained permanent damage and neuropathy to her left leg. Doctors said her need for back surgery had gone from severe to critical. Due to the complexity of Darcy's case, several surgeons said they would not risk operating on her. Thankfully, she was finally able to find a surgeon who realized that without the surgery Darcy would be forever wheelchair-bound and would suffer other quality-of-life health issues.

After the successful surgery, Darcy spent several weeks in a rehabilitation center to learn to walk again with a walker. She was just regaining her ability to walk with a walker, when in June 2022 she came down with a life-threatening case of septic arthritis in an ankle joint. Septic arthritis is rare and extremely painful. She was rushed by ambulance to a hospital emergency room. Over the next 45 days, she would undergo two surgeries and be transferred to five different healthcare facilities in two states. After her return to her parent's home, she was still unable to put any weight on her right ankle for many weeks. She was back to square one - once again having to rehab to learn to walk with her walker. And if that wasn't enough, Darcy then had to have her spinal cord stimulator replaced, which required two procedures and numerous doctor appointments to adjust the settings.

All of Darcy's physical health issues are further complicated by the fact that she has neuropathy, osteoarthritis, psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis, which is an autoimmune disease that causes severe joint pain, stiffness, and swelling. Darcy's psoriatic arthritis was misdiagnosed for several years; therefore, by the time it was correctly diagnosed it had done significant permanent damage to her joints, especially in her feet. She requires a quarterly injection to help keep the inflammation from worsening. The combination of these diagnoses is the reason Darcy can only stand and walk with a walker for short distances while wearing special shoes and assistive braces on both legs. Darcy must take multiple expensive medications daily to help with her health conditions and persistent pain.

At writing this, she has been taking antibiotics for three months to ward off tooth infections until her oral surgery can be done. She is extremely worried about how she is going to pay for this necessary procedure.

Tell me more about Darcy.

As we said earlier, Darcy is a natural-born caregiver. She has enormous empathy for people and has always been a tireless advocate for people from all walks of life. When Darcy was in high school, she spent a couple summers living with a family in Redfield, SD, so that she could work at what was then known as The Redfield State Hospital and School. She loved caring and advocating for the residents, all of whom had a developmental disability. Her commitment to caring for people with developmental disabilities continued after college when she went to work at ECCO (Every Citizen Counts Organization), a residential facility now known as Valiant Living in Madison, SD.

Darcy's career as a helping professional continued as she relocated to Iowa and then Colorado before returning to South Dakota. Throughout her career, some of the places she worked were Wheatridge Regional Center in Wheatridge, CO; Adams Community Health Center in Commerce City, CO; and the South Dakota Rehabilitation Center for the Blind in Sioux Falls, SD. Her commitment to her clients and their families never wavered, whether she was working with people with developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, and/or mental illnesses. Darcy strongly believes that every person deserves dignity, care and support; and it was her passion and honor to provide that.

Darcy's compassion and generosity were not confined to her work. In her daily life, she readily lent a helping hand to people (and animals!) in need, whether they were friends, friends of friends, or strangers she had encountered. She didn't think twice about asking her family members to join in helping these vulnerable people. She has been a voice and a haven for many people over the years.

Thank you!

We sincerely appreciate your consideration. May God bless you!