Medical Expenses for Bart's Severe Nerve Injury
Donation protected
I am setting this up for my partner, Bart. As so many of you know, Bart is always lighting up the lives of people around him with his positivity, kindness, authenticity, humor, and his music. In early November 2023, Bart suffered an injury that flared up his pudendal nerve. This nerve innervates the genitals, the anus, and the area in between them, which is called the perineum. Pudendal neuralgia causes sharp pain in any or all of these areas. And yes, it is just as awful as it sounds. It feels like being stabbed in your root chakra. His pain is mostly in the perineum, with jolts of pain into the other 2 areas at random times.
This injury has been extremely debilitating. He has not been able to do any of the following since early November:
- Work/earn money
- Sit up normally (Bart spends most of his time lying down, and has to stand up for things like meals. Standing is better than sitting, but standing for too long causes pain)
- Create or perform music
In addition to most normal life activities, all of these make the pain worse: coughing, sneezing, laughing, speaking loudly, driving, or attempting any activity engaging the pelvic floor.
Bart continues to pursue medical treatments including nerve blocks, pulsed radiofrequency treatment, and ongoing pelvic floor rehabilitation. The cost of medical treatments is approximately $2000/month on top of his normal living expenses - all while unable to work. Here is more detail about where donations will be allocated:
- Pelvic floor rehab is $250/session (13 sessions so far with many more scheduled)
- Nerve blocks are $270/procedure (3 have been performed so far)
- Pulsed Radiofrequency treatment is $400/procedure (1 done so far, might need additional treatments a few weeks apart from each other)
- Rent is $1480/month—Other standard monthly expenses (food, utilities, household necessities, car expenses) cost around $1200/month
In total, medical bills plus living expenses are costing near $4600/month. Bart has been doing this for 3 months with no income and bills are stacking up.
If you prefer to donate via venmo:
Fortunately, Bart has begun to make some progress, but it has been painstakingly slow and unclear how long it will take to recover.
Here are some snapshots of the life he is working to regain...
Please bring some help to this beautiful soul who is struggling right now - any little bit you can contribute will help immensely. Thank YOU!!! <3
Organiser and beneficiary
Erin Ridgeway
Organiser
Austin, TX
Bart Landry
Beneficiary