Medical cost for 2023-2024 diagnosis West Nile

July 2023 changed my daughters life and has challenged our family. In a blink of an eye independence was taken from her. 3 hospitals and close to 3 wks in the hospital and the diagnoses are coming in. If it is rare…. It’s going to happen to her. West Nile Virus has decided she was a perfect/non-perfect host. Sadly she was not the 1 in 5 to get just the fever and brush it off. She is the 1 in 150 who developed a serious illness affecting her central nervous system. Recovery from severe illness might take several weeks or months. Some effects to the central nervous system might be permanent. Brittany is a fighter. She does her best to take a few steps throughout the day, however the electric wheelchair has been a life saver. The 20+ weight loss has come with malnourishment by severe nausea, loss of smell and taste. Weakness with all her limbs go in sync with her nerves firing all over her body, day and night along with numbness, muscle spasms that are uncomfortable, neuropathy, sever pain, and lack of coordination. She has developed 6th nerve palsy and has been wearing an eye patch and dark prescription sunglasses due to double vision, blurred vision and sometimes loss of vision with elevated spinal fluid pressure. Her last day of work is a distant memory 7/24/23 and on that note the virus has affected her cognition, memory loss, concentration, and difficulty saying what she is thinking. So many of you have offered support in prayer, wheelchairs, offered meal trains, however we as a family were on day by day mode with so many unknowns. There still are so many unknowns as to there is no vaccine or cure for West Nile Virus we are to just treat the symptoms. With 20 medications, Neuro Physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, neurology, physiatry, primary care provider, and so many wonderful people who help with referrals, emergency calls, mychart notes and our frantic calls as we work through the new normal with each lab test brought us down the rabbit hole as Brittany calls it. With the summer stolen from her and her children we finished Friday with 2 doctors appointments and scoped up her and family that were able to go and headed to Yellowstone. What an adventure for all. But for me as a mom it was overwhelming to my heart to see her husband Corey and 2 children Charlie and AJ go into love and caring mode. It was not an easy trip. What is wheelchair accessible? I have a feeling this will be a passion of hers when she is able to advocate. How can we support Brittany and her family has been asked by so many of you. During our 20 plus hours her and I have had some difficult talks and she is open for support. Whether it be by prayers, private messages, calls, a quick meal, or financial assistance to help cover her out of pocket max of $4,000 for the year 2023 we are and continue to be humbled with your support as she pushes on to her path of healing.