Deb Shomper - Love your heart, help your brain
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In case this gets shared with people who are not familiar with my family. This it Tasha, Geyer, from PA. Deb is my mom. I wanted to provide a quick update to everyone. My stepdad Steve, sister Natalie, and myself are trying to raise funds to help alleviate medical costs associated with the stroke Deb had in September 2020. Money that has been raised so far has assisted in paying ambulance costs and medical costs (medicine). We've created a personal checking account that is solely used for money raised for Deb. All funds raised are transferred to the account and will be utilized as needed. Steve and myself have access to the account. Please know that these funds will solely be used for Deb and any medical needs regarding her stroke. As I had indicated previously, she is only allotted 20 sessions a year for physical therapy and speech therapy, combined. For example, if she were to attend a speech therapy session and not a physical therapy session that would take her down to 19 sessions. The therapies do not get an individual 20 sessions. So scheduling appointments has to happen at the same time. She is able to do her speech therapy sessions from home, which is great. She is trying to talk more and there are times where she gets a statement out. A lot of it is still jumbled up. She does write with her left hand and most of the time someone is able to decipher what she is referring to. Still working on getting the use of her right arm. However, we were told that due to there being so many nerves in the arm, that would probably be the last thing she would get back. Doctors are hopeful, she is still within the year timeframe and with repetition she should be able to gain use of everything back. Deb's immediate family, and extended family cannot thank everyone enough for your generosity and support. Please continue to share this message and continue to pray for her. Deb wore a heart monitor for awhile to see if they could figure out what triggered the blood clot. Unfortunately, the monitor didn't pick anything up. In the next few months they are going to place a small device under her skin which will be used to monitor her heart and they will get instance readings if there are any defects. With this device there will be a monthly fee associated with it. Funds raised through this will be utilized to assist with those monthly payments. We have not been given a definite monthly cost at this time. She could have this new monitor in place for up to 3 years.
In May 2020 Deb retired at the age of 59. She celebrated her 60th birthday in September 2020 and just a few days later her husband found her on the floor suffering from a stroke. Unfortunately, we were unable to pinpoint exactly when the stroke occurred so she had to go for surgery to remove the blockage. She spent a little over a week in the hospital in ICU and was then transferred to a rehabilitation hospital. A month after her stroke she was able to come home in a wheel chair. Initially she was unable to move the right side of her body and unable to talk. It’s now been almost 3 months and while she is progressing, she still has a long recovery. Medical bills are starting to come in and we are finding out what insurance did and did not cover. Unfortunately, insurance will only cover up to 20 therapy sessions a year. Found that out the hard way when we were billed for 2 sessions. She will be starting therapy back up come the new year. But 20 sessions doesn’t go very far when she is going 3 days a week for 2 ½ hours at a time. Physical therapy costs $500 a session and speech therapy costs $250 a session. Giving up is NOT an option. She needs us now more than ever. She’s been having a lot of pain in right arm which is a GOOD thing, that means that the nerves are starting to reconnect and she will hopefully soon gain use of her right arm again. She is able to walk with a boot and a cane which is absolutely fantastic. We want so much to be able to hold a conversation with her. While she can say some words, she is unable to put her thoughts into words. If you start counting or saying the days of the week she is able to keep going. There is still a disconnect with her speech. There’s no shame in asking for help, right? We know it’s been a hard year for a lot of people with not working due to COVID, and it being the holidays but we are asking for your help. Anything you are able to give is so very much appreciated and will go towards her therapy sessions and medical costs that aren’t covered. On Thanksgiving of this year Deb became the grandmother of the sweetest little boy. For months all she talked about was being able to watch him. We are so thankful she is able to hold and love on him. And more than anything else, we are so thankful that she is still here with all of us. We want to do what we can to help her in her road to recovery. Please share this with friends and family who may be willing and able to help.
In May 2020 Deb retired at the age of 59. She celebrated her 60th birthday in September 2020 and just a few days later her husband found her on the floor suffering from a stroke. Unfortunately, we were unable to pinpoint exactly when the stroke occurred so she had to go for surgery to remove the blockage. She spent a little over a week in the hospital in ICU and was then transferred to a rehabilitation hospital. A month after her stroke she was able to come home in a wheel chair. Initially she was unable to move the right side of her body and unable to talk. It’s now been almost 3 months and while she is progressing, she still has a long recovery. Medical bills are starting to come in and we are finding out what insurance did and did not cover. Unfortunately, insurance will only cover up to 20 therapy sessions a year. Found that out the hard way when we were billed for 2 sessions. She will be starting therapy back up come the new year. But 20 sessions doesn’t go very far when she is going 3 days a week for 2 ½ hours at a time. Physical therapy costs $500 a session and speech therapy costs $250 a session. Giving up is NOT an option. She needs us now more than ever. She’s been having a lot of pain in right arm which is a GOOD thing, that means that the nerves are starting to reconnect and she will hopefully soon gain use of her right arm again. She is able to walk with a boot and a cane which is absolutely fantastic. We want so much to be able to hold a conversation with her. While she can say some words, she is unable to put her thoughts into words. If you start counting or saying the days of the week she is able to keep going. There is still a disconnect with her speech. There’s no shame in asking for help, right? We know it’s been a hard year for a lot of people with not working due to COVID, and it being the holidays but we are asking for your help. Anything you are able to give is so very much appreciated and will go towards her therapy sessions and medical costs that aren’t covered. On Thanksgiving of this year Deb became the grandmother of the sweetest little boy. For months all she talked about was being able to watch him. We are so thankful she is able to hold and love on him. And more than anything else, we are so thankful that she is still here with all of us. We want to do what we can to help her in her road to recovery. Please share this with friends and family who may be willing and able to help.
Fundraising team (2)
Tasha Geyer
Organizer
Halifax, PA
Natalie Grosser
Team member