Nikki’s New Hip

   Nikki needs a new hip, and she has been gracious enough to let us set up a fundraiser to help her get the surgery she desperately needs to stop complete pelvic collapse. Hannah and I wanted to do this for a variety of reasons. I remember my mom struggling with pain before her hip replacement and how much of her life she got back after. Now that she’s gone, I can’t imagine not getting that extra time. I didn’t want someone like Nikki, who has molded her life around being a caregiver, not getting that same opportunity just because of where she lives. Hannah wanted to help because Nikki is a treasure and an inspiration. Also, she knows how limiting pain can be. Her Ankylosing Spondylitis causes massive issues with her spine and hips, causing her to occasionally rely on a cane and eventually look at hip replacements herself. She couldn’t sit idly by letting Nikki suffer when she could do something.

   Nikki’s been in pain since 2018 and had a hip replacement on her left in Feb 2020. Unfortunately, once it healed, her right hip began to deteriorate. She went from expecting a return to her everyday life to dealing with pain in every step and severely limited activities. To go from being the head of a "ponderosa " actively centered as chief cook, creator of laughs, dryer of tears, and coordinator of holidays, to not being able to pick up her grandbaby, garden, work out or even stand long enough to cook the dishes she was famous for, for her extended family & friends. A self-professed “southern Black grandma who carries forth the food of my family since before Emancipation.” To have that beautiful and full life ending, and to be essential homebound, is a heartbreaking loss for her and her family.


   In all that pain, Nikki still manages to care for her beloved 99-year-old mother. She has always been a caregiver. Her first child, A daughter, was born prematurely at 1lb 9oz, medically fragile, and severely handicapped. Despite over 20 hospitalizations and three brain surgeries, she died. Nikki didn’t turn that loss into a negative but blessed us all by turning her pain into a career of helping. Starting with Maternal and child health administration, Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, Pediatric AIDS, recovering addicts, low-skilled and high-risk ex-offenders....finally finished her career teaching psychology.

   Genuine caregivers understand the civics of care for their fellow Americans as well. The ones that care back and even those who’ve spent their lives not caring. Nikki is one of those genuine caregivers and has worked to make it better for all of us. After voting in every local, state, and national since 1976, no matter where she lived, even voting in the last election on crutches, she faces the genuine prospect of losing that as well. Serious stuff coming from a woman who was 7 when she first marched for Civil rights and went with her parents the first time they were able to vote in the Jim Crow era.

   She tried tolerating the pain as it got progressively worse and worse, and her world narrowed with every pain-filled step. Unfortunately, referral for evaluation ultimately determined she had bone on bone arthritis, and there was no longer blood flow to her hip. Pelvic collapse is imminent without this surgery. It turned this from a 24 HR hospital stay and three months recovery to a month-long hospital stay and exponentially more recovery and therapy. Not to mention the massive increase in cost and the genuine chance of a significant decrease in quality of life after.

   Undaunted, she took the news in stride, steadied herself to face a second surgery, and applied to have it covered by insurance, only to find out her retirement income surpassed the state's $1,500 limit. Faced with an out-of-pocket bill of over 50 thousand, she still didn’t give up. Using every means available, she managed to get that bill down to 13,000 with an additional 2,000 for aftercare. An astonishing feat but still out of reach.

That’s where YOU come in.  ❤️

Nikki has done all she can.  

We’ve convinced her to open her life up to you and allow you to help.

The funny thing about fundraisers is how often someone with only 5 or 10 dollars to donate ... doesn’t.

They think it’s not enough to make a difference.

It is.

Or they’re embarrassed not to have more to give.

Don’t be.

Or they think people will notice them sharing the info but not donating.

They won’t.

The thing about helping others in any way is that it ALL makes a difference.

   So, no matter what you choose to contribute, THANK YOU