Karen Shepherd's Medical Expenses
Hi everyone! I've set up this account for Karen and Lyle Shepherd (or as I fondly call them, "Mom and Dad") to give them a helping hand with their most recent medical expenses.
Here's the story:
Karen woke up around 5:30 in the morning on September 6th with heart palpitations. She often gets these but felt that this time it was a bit different. By 6am, she had some chest pain and was dizzy and too weak to stand up. She woke up Lyle and told him to call 911. The EMTs arrived, checked her out, and told her she was having a heart attack.
Arrival time to the hospital was 6 minutes! They took mom out of the ambulance and wheeled her in. Her medical team was standing in a line, waiting for her to arrive. They were ready to go. Her EMT said, "Look at that... You're going to be ok!"
It was around this time that I saw I had three missed calls from Dad. I knew right away it was something bad. I called him back and he was just arriving at the hospital. He was led to the operating room waiting area. All they would tell him was that Mom was on the table and they were working on her.
Meanwhile, Mom was fully conscious and asked the medical team if they were updating her husband. "There's no time," was her only reply. She felt a heavy pressure in her chest as they started their work and she thought, "Hurry."
An ultrasound of Mom's heart showed that she had a blockage that was caused by scar tissue. The doctors said this means she suffered a mild heart attack years ago, likely around the time she was undergoing surgery and chemo for ovarian cancer 3 years ago. She never knew she had that heart attack but it created scar tissue in her artery. Her heart created its own pathways to try to compensate for this blockage, but over time it was too much and eventually led to this current heart attack.
Mom had a stent put in and is doing well. She will hopefully be released from the hospital today.
Because of mom's quick action in calling 911, and the quick response of her medical team, she is alive today.
We are so grateful and thankful that Mom is doing well.
Because of the financial strain of her cancer and chemo 3 years ago, though, we are setting up this GoFundMe for anyone who wants to contribute to help them through yet another financial struggle.
This is the amount (10k) Lyle and Karen will still owe for her medical expenses after their insurance has paid what they will cover.
We are thankful for and appreciate anything you can give and have given, including your contribution of love and support in the way of thoughts and prayers. Please also share Mom's story!
With thanks and love,
Kari Hanks