Help Amy Pay Her Medical Bills

Four months after her senior prom, my girlfriend Amy should have been starting her first job or walking onto a college campus, signing up for freshman courses and moving into dorms with her friends — creating the memories that would last a lifetime.

Instead, she was just being released from the hospital after weeks of surgeries and treatment, a shell of her happier and healthier self. Bound to a wheelchair and just 79 pounds, with a stomach wound the size of a softball. To collect her waste, an ostomy bag attached to her abdomen, a constant reminder of everything she had lost.

Amy had been diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, a chronic inflammatory disease that wreaks havoc on the colon of the large intestine. In the decade since, she has experienced a roller coaster of doctor visits, misdiagnoses and surgeries that promised to cure her pain but only brought more of it.

She has not just fought, but thrived, learning to advocate for herself and refusing to surrender to despair. She has grown her career, working through her pain to build the start of a beautiful life, with me and her many friends. She is a warrior, and I am so proud of her.

Now, Amy is facing another monumental hurdle. In order to fully heal, she needs to undergo three last surgeries to correct the incorrectly installed J-pouch that has caused her so much suffering over the last 15 years. The cost of these three procedures will mostly be covered by insurance, but Amy still has her deductible and out of pocket expense to pay, which will max out at $5000 per surgery. Unfortunately, Amy will not be able to work during the 6-week recovery after each surgery, which means that she will not receive an income for those 18 weeks. She has been denied short-term disability, long-term disability, and social security disability, so she was not able to get financial aid to cover her living expenses. But all she's asking for is help covering her medical bills, which will be a total of $15,000 for all three surgeries.

I am doing everything I can to support her through this difficult time, working as much as I can while also being her full-time caregiver post-surgery. She needs all the help she can get.

Here's how you can help Amy:

(1.) Donate - No donation is too small, and each one brings Amy one step closer to the life-saving surgery and peace of mind she desperately needs.

(2.) Share - Sharing the film and Gofundme link within your circles and community can absolutely make a difference. Please don’t be shy, and don’t worry if you aren’t sure what to say — any words at all are powerful healing for us at this time. And if you need help, I can also send you some possible text that you can use, if that would help.

(3.) Message - Amy's love language is notes! You can send Amy a message of encouragement or support. This journey can feel lonely, but knowing that she has a community behind her can lift her spirits immensely. If you don't have a way to contact her, you can message me through Gofundme, and I will make sure it gets to Amy.

This is more than a plea for help. It's a chance to celebrate Amy, our warrior, who continues to battle against all odds. It's an opportunity to be a part of her story of courage, resilience, and the undying human spirit.

Your contribution will help Amy get one step closer to a life of health, peace, and the chance to embrace the dreams she has had to put on hold. For example: She's always wanted to backpack South America! But has never had that chance due to her health. With your help, you can keep Amy out of debt so she can begin to pursue the dreams that have been on hold since she was 18.

Thank you so much for your support.

To read her whole medical story click here.

To watch the full video click here.