Layne's Medical Expenses

Two days after his 19th birthday, my little brother Layne began experiencing unusual and intense pain in his left hip. He had been working as a landscaper and we thought that maybe he had pulled something in his back so we went to the Urgent Care Center to see if they could help. They thought it may have been sciatica, gave him a prescription, and sent him home to rest.

Days passed and the pain became more intense. His right shoulder began to hurt and lock up, much like his hip. His right ankle did the same. He couldn’t walk or stand up on his own and he couldn’t perform basic functions on his own without assistance. He couldn’t sleep and he couldn’t find any relief in any position that he could put himself. After visiting Urgent Care again, where he was told that the doctor was literally baffled, he was sent on to an Orthopedist where he had X-rays done to see if he had a problem in his spine – none of which showed any spinal issues. The surgeon ordered a few tests to be done and prescribed him a different medication. He took the prescription, an anti-inflammatory, and like a switch had been flipped, he had significantly increased mobility the next day. We thought all was well and they would have some answers for him after reviewing the blood work and MRIs that were ordered. Unfortunately, when we went to his follow up appointment, the Orthopedic Surgeon told Layne that he couldn’t help him. He had no idea what was wrong with him but his blood work showed that he had exceedingly high numbers in the inflammation and white blood cell counts. The surgeon said the best next step to take would be to go to the ER and have a full workup done with the hospital. So off to the ER we went to spend the next 24 hours where he was scanned, tested, poked, prodded, and questioned.

We were bewildered, just like the doctors. He was healthy, young, and had no major trauma that could have caused any issues like this. The doctors at the hospital proved to be just as baffled as everyone else that had seen him. To top everything off, after staying in the ER for a couple hours, he started to develop a strange rash.

Our mom and dad arrived at the hospital the day after he was admitted (they had to drive to Indiana, where Layne had been living with me, from their home in Nebraska) and decided it was time to take him back home to Nebraska to find answers there.

He was admitted to the University of Nebraska Medical Center the next day after Layne and our parents drove the 14 hours from Indiana. He ended up spending two weeks there, underwent many tests including a shoulder surgery and hip surgery for tissue and bone biopsies, before being sent home with few answers.

One month later, after weeks of pain, uncertainty, sleepless nights, and hundreds of tests, he is home without a diagnosis, waiting on the results of the countless tests he endured in Omaha. He is still in pain and still has limited mobility but he will soon be starting physical therapy to help with the pain and fatigue-weakened muscles.

He is currently without health insurance and is unable to work. He spent everything that he had saved on the first few doctor appointments, X-rays, blood work, and MRIs. Without any answers, it’s hard to say what other tests or appointments may be in store for him.

Please consider helping my little brother during this uncertain time. Any amount that you can donate will be so greatly appreciated and any prayers that you can pray would be the greatest blessing to him.  Please consider praying for his health, for the doctors who are working on his case, for my parents who are caring for him, for his peace of mind, and for his future success. He is greatly loved by his family and friends and I know that God will continue to bless him through all of you. Thank you for your consideration!