Mother Of CP Disabled Daughter Seeks Relief For Medical Expense Debt

by Karen
(Montgopmery, Alabama, USA)

I am the mother of a wonderful girl. She has cerebral palsy, autism, is legally blind and uses a wheelchair for mobility outside of the home. So I am writing this on her behalf.

I am 52; she is 19. I am married and I have a 23-year-old son who lives on his own with roommates. My husband is a Chef.

Maegan was born in 1991. She was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy in 1992, and optic atrophy in 1996.

It was not until 2008 that the possibility of autism became a concern. She is on the low side of the autism spectrum.

She cannot walk on her own, and has circulatory problems in her feet and legs.

The school system in our city is not educating her; it is failing her. I want to move out of this city to a smaller town and devote my time and effort to retraining her in every area.

I had her "potty trained" at age seven. The past seven months in the school she was forced to go to, has let her regress in that area.

They are not teaching her and they simply don't care. Even after numerous school meetings, doctor visits, letters, phone calls and attorneys, nothing has changed.

My daughter was denied entrance into the school we are zoned for and I have to drive her across town everyday to the school that she is forced to go to. Then I pick her up from school and drive her to physical therapy every day.

I have an attorney that is working for free right now. My other attorney I was only able to pay $1000 out of the fundraisers we had. He is not as active in the case anymore.

I have no salary. It has been a long battle and she is not getting the education she has a right to. In August 2010 it made the news and it affected us greatly in every way.

She has regressed terribly. She has severe circulatory issues with her legs. Due to the school not following the doctor's medical orders, the issue has escalated.

She is on Medicaid and my husband and I have no medical insurance now.

The school will not provide bus transportation, they told me that "other" children would have to wait on her, so she can't ride the bus.

The 1995 Buick I drive barely fits her wheelchair in the trunk. (I need a van with a lift).

Our house is in foreclosure and I have to be able to find a handicap accessible house for her. I have to carry her up two flights of stairs in the home we have now.

My husband and I have to close our restaurant on April 29th, due to economic reasons and lack of funds.

He used to have a credit rating above 8.0, now I can only imagine.

We had two fundraisers this past winter. It only raised $2,600 and the money is gone due to bills.

Maegan has SSI, but only gets $381.94 a month.

My position in our business was Manager and pastry cook. I have to now stay at home with Maegan, because school will be out and I can't afford to pay anyone to stay with her.

In the past I could, but due to our business closing that is not an option this summer.

We need money to help us move into another home, buy a medical van, pay for groceries and utilities and help us survive until my husband has a secure full-time job.

He will only be bringing in around $600 every two weeks with the part-time job he's able to find.

Meagan's SSI at only $381.94 isn't nearly enough to survive.

We are in dire straits. I have exhausted all other possibilities. I never thought we would be in this situation.

Our savings are gone, and the future looks very bleak. Please Help. Thank you.