Jeanette's Journey

My name is Mary Gordon, and the reason I am writing, on behalf of my sister Jeanette, is to

give people a view from the administrative/financial end when a loved one has

gone through a horrific experience leaving them unable to care for themselves,

let alone any of their financial matters. It boggles



Jeanette was in a car accident on November 10, 2011, and after walking around for 5 days with a fractured spine, was admitted back into the hospital where they performed emergency surgery on her neck. When she woke up from the surgery she was wearing a halo that was bolted into her skull and she was paralyzed from the upper abdomen down to her legs.

Since then, despite a two month major setback in a skilled nursing facility, she has been making progress every single

day. Some days by leaps and bounds, other days small yet significant advances.

We all knew Jeanette could do this….. there was no doubt.

There continues to be no doubt.

We lovingly call it "The Jeanette Factor".



As time has gone by and Jeanette goes through the various stages of her recovery, unfortunately, reality comes barreling in.

There are only 30+ days left of her skilled nursing benefit on her insurance which means when that ends we will need to pay out of pocket (est. $500 p/day). The facility she is in now is a sub-acute rehabilitation and they are phenominal!!!



We would love for her to stay there longer, even after the benefit days run out, but they do not accept Medicaid at all.

We would need to move her eventually to a facility that accepts Medicaid "pending" and most of all, suits her needs and her goals for her long term recovery. Based on her first hand experience a skilled nursing facility is not what Jeanette needs.



We are endeavoring to get Jeanette into a transitional living facility that provides a safe and nurturing environment for people with spinal cord injuries to live; people just like Jeanette, where they learn how to live as independently as possible.



She would be surrounded by peers, all patients under 55 years of age, all trying their very best to learn how

to cope and continue despite their devastating injuries.



Just imagine Jeanette in a place like that… for those of you that know her well, and even those that had perhaps just a brief encounter….she would want to offer all she knows, and all she has, to others and as a consequence, it would help her in her overall recovery!



Here’s the catch…….we are in the process of setting up a special needs trust for Jeanette to protect her life-time savings for future expenses and we cannot file for Medicaid until that is accomplished. We anticipate Medicaid will be applied for sometime in the first week of July and even then it can take a few months for it to be approved.



If Jeanette goes to the transitional home we’d like to see her in, we will need to pay 6 months in advance as per Medicaid guidelines - for those who can't fathom the cost - it would huver in the neighborhood of $80,000.00.



After that 6 months, when Medicaid is approved they will cover the cost for Jeanette to live at this facility.

It is the time between now and the 6 to 7 months, depending on when she gets into the transitional living facility, that we are most concerned about from a financial view point.



Despite having private insurance (thanks to her most giving coworkers!), for now, the medical bills are starting to really roll in and we are starting to purchase some adaptive equipment, devices and other items that will assist Jeanette in her day to day routines….tasks you and I might take for granted like; brushing teeth, washing your face, eating, etc. Even Jeanett'e first love, reading, has been near impossible, up until now.



These expenditures are all eating into her savings which could eventually deplete all the money she worked so very hard to earn throughout the course of her life. We anticipate that her private insurance will end soon, and there is the possibility of Cobra benefits, but that is not certain at this point. Even so, Cobra is expensive and will surely reduce any savings Jeanette

has left significantly.



This our humble request - from a family that does not normally ask for help, to anyone that is able, we need your assistance desperately. Many, too many to mention, have contributed very generously, and for that we are so grateful and touched by your complete selfless generosity, I am emotionally overwhelmed when I think of your gifts; it touches me beyond description. Thank you.



That said, we need to begin aggressively raising funds for Jeanette’s Journey and anything anyone can do to assist in any way is deeply appreciated.



If you are receiving this message it is because you already have made a difference in Jeanette's life and we are going to ask if you can do a bit more.



Katherine will follow this blog with some concrete ideas for small and/or large fundraising tactics. We are asking you to run with it! Form a run, have a bakesale, start a pyramid giving request, a lemonade stand, a canister at work.....NO AMOUNT IS TOO SMALL!



As an element of this site, if you wish to donate now - please do!

If you would like to mail your generous gift - please do (information on site)!



Thank you so much for taking the time to read this rather wordy, but necessary, blog.

And thank you all, thank you, thank you - for all your continued support, love and positive energy and prayers for Jeanette.

We are so moved by everyone’s good will and there are no words to adequately to describe how we feel.



All my very best,

Mary