GoFundMom Help With Medical Expense
- By: Bianca Shaw
- Short URL: https://archive.backabuddy.co.za/bianca-shaw-5833824367021103532
- Date Created: 10 February 2024
Personal message
My name is Stephanie Shaw and I am writing this message in a desperate plea, to raise funds for medical assistance for my mother, Bianca Shaw. My siblings, Jasmin, Brian and I have watched her struggle for almost 14 months now but have been powerless to do anything meaningful to help her.
She is such a lovely and bright person. She's always willing to help others and be there for everyone. She's the most important person in my life. And it breaks my heart that I cannot help her. All I can do is watch her struggle and its extremely hard to do so. She's been the only person that I could depend on at every point in my life. She's my rock and the best and only mother I could ever ask for. Now there's been a change of roles and I can see how much this is affecting her. She's the strongest person I know and I don't think anyone could've been through what she's been through the past 14 months and come out alive.
Her problems started when she was retrenched in February 2022. She really struggled to find work but finally found a job in August. During her probation period and not being covered by medical aid, she had a horrific car accident on the highway, on her way to work, on 17 October 2022. Unfortunately it was a hit and run so there were no witnesses. The injury to her right arm was so severe that she almost lost it.
She was taken to Tembisa Hospital where she spent 7 weeks during which time she underwent 5 operations, one of which was to remove maggots from the wound. Having said that, it is a miracle that they managed to save it, but they did inform her that it is unlikely that she would ever regain full use of her arm and hand.
On top of this, she regrettably lost her new job as the company could not keep her position open indefinitely.
My mom has been in severe pain since she was discharged from hospital in December 2022. To provide a better picture of the severity of her condition, osteomyelitis has set in, oozing out of the arm, as her body is rejecting the plates which need to be removed. She now also has a hole in her elbow exposing the plate in her arm.
In July of this year she had her first appointment at Tembisa Hospital with an orthopedic surgeon since having been discharged in December, under the proviso, dependent on bed availability, they might admit her for an operation to remove the plates. This not being the case, a new appointment was made for October under the same conditions. No bed being available yet again, she was told to come back in April 2024! Proviso same as before, ie, if and that's a big IF, there are beds available they would operate.
We as a family are unfortunately unable to help my mother financially via private healthcare and there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel with the public healthcare system. Neither my sister nor I earn enough to contribute towards private hospitalisation and my 16 year old brother is still in school.
To add to the situation, my mother's partner was unfairly dismissed from his company in August, in a case that is being handled by the CCMA. So, between the two of them, there is no physical income.
My mother has not been able to work since the accident as her arm causes her too much pain and, since it is her dominant hand, it makes it that much harder for her.
The bottom line is the funds will be used to fund her 2 operations, one, to remove the plates that her body is rejecting and clean out the infection, and the second to remove the osteomyelitis and reset her arm.
Statistics
Fundraising target
R 500 000.00Donations to date
R 0.00GoFundMom Help With Medical Expense Campaign
