Help Veronica Riley With Medical Expenses

On January 28 while working in the ICU, Veronica started to feel short of breath. She brushed it off as a case of pneumonia that she couldn’t quite kick and kept on working. Later that night, in the emergency department, she would come to find out that her rightlung had collapsed. After a chest tube was placed, she was admitted. The following morning, she was told she would need emergency surgery to remove blebs (imagine small air blisters all over the lung) that had formed in her lungs. What she had always thought was a “displaced rib” over the past few years was an undiagnosed issue that contributed to her lung collapse. Later that day, she would go through what we as nurses fear most: Being a patient in her own department. She underwent a VATS (video assisted thoracoscopic surgery) procedure, with pleurodesis, and bleb resection. In layman’s terms, Dr. Sydow our CV surgeon, went in with a camera, scrubbed and chemically treated the space between the lung and chest wall so it could adhere correctly and keep Veronica’s lung inflated. She then cut out the tissue with the blebs. Sounds painful right!?! Veronica went on to spend a week recovering in intensive care. Now that she is discharged, it is time for her to heal and not have to stress about the financial complications that come with a prolonged stay in the hospital. Even with insurance, the out of pocket expenses and missed work add up quickly. Vern is one of the hardest working people I know. When she is not nursing, she works two other jobs as a hairdresser and cardio/spin instructor at local gyms. She also manages a small farm with her fiancé Matt, where they have saved chickens and turkeys in town and, as many of you know, raise and breed milk goats. Our ICU family has been through a lot this year, but these are the situations where we shine; coming together to help our coworkers and friends when they are in need. Anything you can donate to help Veronica will be greatly appreciated.