Help Shannan and Her Mum

Help Shannan and Her Mum

While visiting from Canada, Shannan’s mom Rose, who has been living with Lewy Body Dementia since 2017, had to be rushed to the ER. She spent the next 2 months in and out of hospitals in Las Vegas. Because she is a Canadian citizen, Shannan’s mother accrued more than $225,000 in medical and home healthcare debt. Even with steep discounts, she owed a whopping $34,000. This has all been a major emotional and financial blow to the whole family.

When we heard our beloved clown was down, we knew we had to do something to help. We set up GoFundMe to help Shannan and Rose with debt incurred both while Rose was in the hospital and after discharge. Please donate and spread the word!

Shannan and Her Mum's Story

Shannan’s mom Rose happened to be in the wrong place (the United States) at the wrong time (medical crisis). “My mother is the toughest, strongest, most courageous woman I know,” Shannan says. “She’s funny, intuitive and as smart as they come.”

In an effort to spend as much time together as possible while her mind is lucid, Rose has spent the last few winters in Las Vegas with Shannan and family. While visiting this year, a medical emergency landed Rose in the hospital where she underwent bowel obstruction surgery. Due to multiple complications preventing her from traveling home, Rose spent the next two months in and out of Vegas hospitals. Without adequate health insurance (she's Canadian), Rose’s medical bills added up to over US$225,000.

In between hospital stays, Rose needed 24-hour care. To care for her mom, Shannan took time off from her job as Resident Director at Spiegelworld's Atomic Saloon Show. In order to return to work, she had to hire in-home caregivers for Rose.

Shannan has had to take off weeks of work and has spent countless hours on the phone, fiercely negotiating with hospitals, doctors and labs. In some cases, she was able to get her bills reduced by 90%. And yet, Rose still owed a staggering US$34,000. Shannan is Rose's only child and they're extremely close, so of course she has stepped up to do everything possible to help her eliminate this debt. At 81, Rose relies on a small pension, her savings and social security.

Shannan accompanied a fragile Rose home on March 16th. Rose has spent the last three weeks in a hospital in Canada where she will remain until a room opens up at a rehabilitation center. Rose hopes to regain her mobility and independence so she can return to her home in assisted living. Shannan is working again, trying to get the financial train back on the rails, as well as restoring the family's sense of normalcy.

We four GFM organizers know and adore Shannan and are sure there are many of you out there who do as well. We want to help a friend and her mom in need the way we know she would step up and help us. We are a community. A beautiful community of love and laughter! Let's keep her laughing!!

Please donate today and help a clown out!!!

Whether it's $5 or $500, every PENNY will go directly to paying off multiple medical bills and restoring their savings (and sanity). Help Rose focus on her recovery and ease back into her life gently and worry free.

And here's to all of our mothers - may they all live to a ripe old age in comfort!