Please Help Save Michelle's Life
Donation protected
Hello, my name is Michelle Prater and I am 48 years old. I'm the mother and sole provider of 2 daughters, since their father died in 2007. After many years of being sick and struggling to breathe, I finally received a diagnosis that shattered our lives in 2012. I was diagnosed with a rare, severe lung disease called TracheoBronchoMalacia (TBM). This lung disease has caused a 98% collapse of my trachea and bronchial tubes going all the way down into both lobes of my lungs. I have been in and out of the hospital multiple times for extended stays over the last fourteen months, since I had a Tracheostomy. Even with the trach, I still fight to breathe everyday. My TBM is progressing quickly and is starting to affect my heart and kidneys. I'm currently taking many medications, breathing treatments, oxygen and a ventilator.
Recently my insurance approved to cover 80% of medical bills for me to go to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center to have the life-saving surgery to repair and strengthen the trachea and bronchial walls to help prevent my airway from collapsing. Since the state I live in does not have any doctors that does such a rare surgery, the closest hospital that has the surgeons that do, are in Cincinnati.
I am seeking financial help for non-covered medical expenses, travel (my fourteen y.o. van is no longer drivable), so I would need to find people to take us back and forth or rent a vehicle), food, gas, parking fees and lodging. Initially, I will need to go for many, many tests and then receive stents. A couple of weeks later, I will need to have the stents removed, then have the life-saving surgery, so I can finally BREATHE! During my recovery, we will need to stay in a hotel close to the hospital in order to commute back and forth for frequent follow up visits. Over the next 2 years I will need to return to Cincinnati quite a bit for tests and check ups.
It is our prayers, if you're reading this and are able, that your heart will be moved to contribute any amount that you could. We would also appreciate if everyone would be willing to share this, and say plenty of prayers for us. As soon as I get the funding, the sooner I will be able to get my life-saving surgery, and have a better quality of life and not have to worry about dying. I want nothing more than to see my daughter graduate from college, be there for my girls when they get married, and to eventually have grand babies that I can love and spoil!
Thank you very much for reading, prayers, thoughts, contributions & sharing.
God Bless,
Michelle Prater
Recently my insurance approved to cover 80% of medical bills for me to go to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center to have the life-saving surgery to repair and strengthen the trachea and bronchial walls to help prevent my airway from collapsing. Since the state I live in does not have any doctors that does such a rare surgery, the closest hospital that has the surgeons that do, are in Cincinnati.
I am seeking financial help for non-covered medical expenses, travel (my fourteen y.o. van is no longer drivable), so I would need to find people to take us back and forth or rent a vehicle), food, gas, parking fees and lodging. Initially, I will need to go for many, many tests and then receive stents. A couple of weeks later, I will need to have the stents removed, then have the life-saving surgery, so I can finally BREATHE! During my recovery, we will need to stay in a hotel close to the hospital in order to commute back and forth for frequent follow up visits. Over the next 2 years I will need to return to Cincinnati quite a bit for tests and check ups.
It is our prayers, if you're reading this and are able, that your heart will be moved to contribute any amount that you could. We would also appreciate if everyone would be willing to share this, and say plenty of prayers for us. As soon as I get the funding, the sooner I will be able to get my life-saving surgery, and have a better quality of life and not have to worry about dying. I want nothing more than to see my daughter graduate from college, be there for my girls when they get married, and to eventually have grand babies that I can love and spoil!
Thank you very much for reading, prayers, thoughts, contributions & sharing.
God Bless,
Michelle Prater
Organizer
Michelle Prater
Organizer
Noblesville, IN