Help Bookies and Her Broken Neck

My name is Maude Williams and I am writing on behalf of me and my siblings, Haven, and Eleanor. On July 1st, 2023, our lives drastically changed when our mother, Bookies Tampas-Williams, fell, breaking both her C4 and C5 vertebrae and causing a herniated disc in her neck.

After attending a concert together at a venue south of Boston, MA. Bookies took what we thought was a minor tumble but quickly realized it was much more traumatic when she was unable to walk properly and began losing mobility in her hands and arms. After convincing her a 911 call and ambulance ride were necessary, she was transported to the local hospital, Sturdy Memorial Hospital, where a CT scan revealed two fractured cervical vertebrae, the C4-C5, which made her spine dangerously unstable. Bookies was immediately transferred to a level one trauma center, Rhode Island Hospita,l in Providence, Rhode Island.

After a full day in the trauma center, and another CT and also an MRI, a surgical plan was put in place. This all occurred in less than a 24-hour time span. The following evening, Sunday, July 2nd, she had the first, of what we though would be two surgeries, on her neck both performed by the amazing Dr. Sullivan. The first surgery entailed going in anteriorly through her neck and starting the stabilization process by fusing the two vertebrae to create initial stability in her neck. This surgery was far less aggressive than the second surgery, however, it was far more dangerous being so close to vital arteries and the esophagus. Fortunately, thanks to Dr. Sullivan and her surgical team, she came out of the operation like a trooper and started preparing for the next step in her recovery.

On Thursday, July 7th, she had the second surgery, which was more intensive and physically draining. The surgeons went in through the back of her neck and fused the two broken vertebrae with titanium rods and screws to complete the stabilization process which will hopefully prevent any future surgeries. During surgery, Dr. Sullivan was able to observe the point of impact and the dent on our mother’s spinal cord. When they relieved the built-up pressure the doctor was able to watch it slowly return to normal. It is truly a miracle our mother did not lose any mobility due to her accident and is able to walk away from this.

Then on Monday, July 10th, my mother unfortunately pulled her drain, from the second surgery, out in her sleep, which resulted in the posterial incision rapidly swelling due to the fluid build up that was occuring. Finally, July 12th, she was taken into emergency surgery to drain the incision, hopefully her last surgery. In this procedure they reopened the incision and cleared out as much of fluid as they could, safely, and added two drainage ports to ensure that she does not face this problem again. She has been recovering very well from this surgery so far.

With her discharge date quickly approaching, we are now faced with the reality of adapting our life back in Vermont to make her recovery as successful and smooth as possible. This starts with her transportation from Providence, Rhode Island to Colchester, Vermont. To this end, my father and I will be renting a minivan to do the 5.5-hour drive home, which will most likely be divided into two days to ensure maximum comfort during the trek. We need to rent a car because none of the cars we have are suitable for transporting a person recovering from surgery.

Once back in Vermont our mother will need 4 to 6 weeks to recuperate, lots of physical therapy, as well as minor accommodations in the house to make it safer and more accessible for her as she recovers. Since the surgery, her coordination and balance have suffered greatly and she will need the assistance of a walker upon returning home to ensure maximum safety and grab bars to assist in stability.

This may come as a shock, or may not, but Bookies is a very stubborn and headstrong woman, and asking for help is not in her nature.

With all that being said, she will be out of work for potentially the next six weeks, maybe longer, and as much as she would not admit it she needs some help. We have no idea what insurance is or is not going to cover yet, being out of state, having two ambulance rides, and we are scared to find out. That is why we decided to start a GoFundMe page to potentially lessen some of the financial burdens we will encounter in the near future. Any contribution would and will be tremendously appreciated during this time of chaos and adaptation and as always if a contribution is something you can not do at this time all we ask is for you to send as many good vibes as you can. My mama deserves it.