UPDATE 7/5/2017: 

Reeny has had some really exciting success in exploring holistic therapies for pain management!! The acceleration of improvement in her comfort level & mobility since she implemented this new therapy have allowed us to decrease the amount of our fundraiser goal from $20,000 down to $6,000!

That amount will cover all of Reeny's expected medical costs related to her hip for six months, July-Dec. 2017:

- PT each 2 weeks (& supplies)
- Orthopedist each 6 weeks
- Cortisone shots each 2 months
- Holistic therapy products

That means that with the $2,195 we have raised through generous donations from friends and family, we are now at 37% of our goal.

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Original Post: 

Maureen is a talented writer, excellent baker and cook, adoring and supportive wife and mother, devoted member of her community, and woman of God. Some of her closest friends (like my mom and our family) call her Reeny. Beyond being one of the nicest people you will ever meet, she is a lover of everything kind. Her thoughts and words are considerate and humble, she looks for the silver lining in every situation, and she is unwavering in her tolerance of others. Even her outrage at the injustices in the world are always expressed from a place of love and a desire to foster understanding.

Maureen’s Medical History & Finances:

“I have type II diabetes (on oral medication), sleep apnea (on a CPAP), plus arthritis in my right hip, left knee and my hands. I used to weigh 405 pounds, had bariatric surgery and lost 210 pounds in less than 2 years. While this has taken me off several medications for the diabetes, and has helped with the arthritis, so many years at such a high weight have made the situation more severe than it might have been. My hip is now impacting my life as it makes movement really difficult. I try and do some exercises and to walk when possible, but most days that is quite difficult for me.”

After Maureen’s inspirational weight loss journey and receiving her primary care physician's referral to an orthopedic surgeon, she crunched the numbers and learned that there is no way for her family alone to bear the costs associated with the surgery. Her insurance policy will not cover the expenses for Maureen to see an orthopedic specialist for either surgery or other alternatives until she meets her deductible first, which is $8,000.

“Since my husband was out of work for 2+ years, and we ran out of unemployment insurance after six months, we lived on our retirement money and what little savings we had. My husband is working again, which is why we have insurance, but we have no savings or retirement at this time.”

I have estimated Maureen’s out-of-pocket expenses for this procedure and recovery at somewhere between $17,000 - $20,000

• With an $8,000 deductible ($6,965 of which is outstanding), and her insurance company estimating the cost of hip replacement surgery at $37,225, we expect that Maureen will be responsible for a total out-of-pocket expense of $13,017 for the surgery.
• Physical Therapy is estimated at $420/visit, or $84/visit after the deducible is met.
• The doctor’s visits cost $114-281 per visit depending upon the complexity of the situation.

“I would hope that having lost the weight that my complexity level would not be high, but I don’t know. I haven’t been able to afford going to see him, as I would have to take on the full cost myself. Plus I do not know how many visits I would need, also because I have not been able to meet with the doctor.”

• Maureen’s husband and sons will help care for her when she returns home after surgery. My mom (a registered nurse with 35 years of experience in orthopedics) will fly or drive to Colorado to be with Reeny and her family to assist with her recovery.
• She has pretty good pharmacy benefits, so we expect the cost of any supplies needed for her recovery will be minimal, and we do not anticipate any significant costs associated with her long-term recovery.

Maureen’s role as a caretaker:

Maureen’s mother moved in with them after her father’s death. Her husband lost his job 2/14/13, and her father died 3/9/13 (less than a month later.) Her mother moved in with the family at the end of April in 2013, while their household was without an income. Each member of the family helped care for her, and as her dementia and physical condition declined, it became a truly difficult situation. She died the end of August 2015.

Maureen is very religious and is a church attending Christian and appreciates the opportunity to help those in her community who need it most.

• “I teach the women in my ward once a month on spiritual subjects (such as cultivating an attitude of happiness and a spirit of optimism; and how we are daughters of God and we need to appreciate how special and important we are, to stop judging ourselves and learn to forgive and love ourselves as much as we do others.)

• “I visit several sisters every month to check on them and see how they are doing and if they need any assistance. In this capacity, I have helped fold laundry; taken care of little ones so their moms/grandmothers can take care of things without the children; fixed meals and brought them in when they needed it; visited women when they were housebound, in the hospital, or just sick and needed some company; and helping women without transportation get to church or doctor’s appointments. I’ve also spent time visiting women who are new to our area to help them feel welcome and see what I can do to help them settle in.

• “I have helped struggling women in the community get groceries to help feed their families, and at Christmastime take them shopping for gifts for their children, as well as donating turkeys to them for their holiday meals.

• “I’ve been involved in the community through my church activity: helping refugees who are new to our country; putting together care packages for young girls in Africa and also for soldiers who are serving in war areas; writing to/sending care packages to missionaries out in the field.”

When I proposed the idea of starting an online fundraiser for Reeny, her outpouring of appreciation paired with her hesitance at the idea due to the knowledge that others are worse off than she is, are a testament to her humility and grace.

Reeny is my mom Terry's college roommate and dear friend, so I've known her my entire life. Growing up, our families only saw each other once every few years, but when we did, it felt like family. My brother and I loved it when we got to visit Maureen and Stan's house. Her sons AJ and Kevin were similar in age to us, and looking back now it feels like the four of us spent 18 hours a day playing outside. Their family photos were displayed in our home, and we kept in touch via phone calls and letters (yes, in the mail). One of the best things about the pervasiveness of social media in every aspect of our lives is that we don't have to only interact superficially, following people based on the style and composition of their selfies and "liking" their every meal. Social media also allows us to reach out and connect with each other in ways that were previously incomprehensible, and learn small things about each other that end up being huge and even life-changing. Recently I have reconnected with Maureen and been reminded of how unconditional this woman's kindness is.

Please consider donating what you can to this fundraiser to support Maureen in her inspirational journey of self-love. Any amount helps!

~~Thank you~~