Fitzgerald Medical Fund
Donation protected
Many of you know our story; some of you don't. Here it is, in a nutshell...
A brief overview...
Adam was born with hydrocephalus (water on the brain) and has his first shunt surgery when he was 5 months old. His second surgery was when he was 13, and he needed no further treatment until he was 31. In 2000, his shunt needed to be revised, and that started a long process of yearly brain surgeries for him. In the last 17 years, he has had 17 brain surgeries (twice he went a full year without surgery, but twice he had 2 surgeries in one year). Additionally, he has had several ear surgeries, culminating in surgery for cochlear implants, as well as some other medical issues along the way.
When I was pregnant with our first son, Sean, I started having grand mal seizures. I had them for 18 months, but last October was 20 years seizure-free. In March of this year, I had two separate episodes where my blood pressure bottomed out and I ended up having unexplained syncope episodes. Both times I was transported to the ER by EMS; I am presently undergoing a long list of tests to determine if this was seizure-related or something else. Because of these episodes, I am unable to drive until mid-September.
We also have an 18-year-old son, Michael, who has autism. We have just recently petitoned for and been granted guardianship of him. Michael cannot drive or live alone or manage his own money; he does, however, have a weekend job at a restaurant that he enjoys very much.
The details...
Every year that Adam has had surgery, we have had to meet at least one deductible (for his treatment). Oftentimes we have had more than just his deductible to cover, but I've been relatively healthy over the years, which has been a huge blessing. At the end of 2015, I had to have major surgery, which meant we had 2 deductibles in 2015, and that was quite the challenge. Our current deductible is $4250 - per person. I estimate that since 2000, our out of pocket expenses for our deductibles has been in the vicinity of $72,000.
Some good news...
Over the years, we have managed to do pretty well with paying on our medical bills. We don't go on vacations or buy cars, and we don't have credit cards, so we don't have credit card debt. Earlier this year, we celebrated paying off our bill to MUSC (the hospital where Adam has his brain surgeries). Since we have had a balance with them for 17 years, we were delighted. We still had a balance with RSF, where I had my surgery, but we were committed to paying it off by the end of 2017.
And some bad news...
When we were preparing for Michael's guardianship hearing, we discovered MUSC had a $3100 bill for old services we were unaware of. The hospital we thought was paid off was not. We were still committed to paying off both MUSC and RSF, although we thought it might take a little longer than we planned. It was still possible.
And now...
2017 has hit us hard. Not only do we have the deductible for my visits to the ER, Adam has had to have another brain surgery, which is another deductible. Suddenly we have over $14,000 in medical expenses, owed to 7 different providers. Everyone wants something paid toward their bill every month. It is HARD.
The big ask...
So we are asking for help. If anyone feels led, we would so appreciate whatever you can give.
And finally...
If you cannot give, or even if you can, please pray. We cherish your prayers for healing for our family, as well as for these financial needs.
Thank you for reading this and considering giving. As always, #godsgotthis .
- Lori
A brief overview...
Adam was born with hydrocephalus (water on the brain) and has his first shunt surgery when he was 5 months old. His second surgery was when he was 13, and he needed no further treatment until he was 31. In 2000, his shunt needed to be revised, and that started a long process of yearly brain surgeries for him. In the last 17 years, he has had 17 brain surgeries (twice he went a full year without surgery, but twice he had 2 surgeries in one year). Additionally, he has had several ear surgeries, culminating in surgery for cochlear implants, as well as some other medical issues along the way.
When I was pregnant with our first son, Sean, I started having grand mal seizures. I had them for 18 months, but last October was 20 years seizure-free. In March of this year, I had two separate episodes where my blood pressure bottomed out and I ended up having unexplained syncope episodes. Both times I was transported to the ER by EMS; I am presently undergoing a long list of tests to determine if this was seizure-related or something else. Because of these episodes, I am unable to drive until mid-September.
We also have an 18-year-old son, Michael, who has autism. We have just recently petitoned for and been granted guardianship of him. Michael cannot drive or live alone or manage his own money; he does, however, have a weekend job at a restaurant that he enjoys very much.
The details...
Every year that Adam has had surgery, we have had to meet at least one deductible (for his treatment). Oftentimes we have had more than just his deductible to cover, but I've been relatively healthy over the years, which has been a huge blessing. At the end of 2015, I had to have major surgery, which meant we had 2 deductibles in 2015, and that was quite the challenge. Our current deductible is $4250 - per person. I estimate that since 2000, our out of pocket expenses for our deductibles has been in the vicinity of $72,000.
Some good news...
Over the years, we have managed to do pretty well with paying on our medical bills. We don't go on vacations or buy cars, and we don't have credit cards, so we don't have credit card debt. Earlier this year, we celebrated paying off our bill to MUSC (the hospital where Adam has his brain surgeries). Since we have had a balance with them for 17 years, we were delighted. We still had a balance with RSF, where I had my surgery, but we were committed to paying it off by the end of 2017.
And some bad news...
When we were preparing for Michael's guardianship hearing, we discovered MUSC had a $3100 bill for old services we were unaware of. The hospital we thought was paid off was not. We were still committed to paying off both MUSC and RSF, although we thought it might take a little longer than we planned. It was still possible.
And now...
2017 has hit us hard. Not only do we have the deductible for my visits to the ER, Adam has had to have another brain surgery, which is another deductible. Suddenly we have over $14,000 in medical expenses, owed to 7 different providers. Everyone wants something paid toward their bill every month. It is HARD.
The big ask...
So we are asking for help. If anyone feels led, we would so appreciate whatever you can give.
And finally...
If you cannot give, or even if you can, please pray. We cherish your prayers for healing for our family, as well as for these financial needs.
Thank you for reading this and considering giving. As always, #godsgotthis .
- Lori
Organizer
Lori Fitzgerald
Organizer
Mt. Pleasant, SC