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A craniotomy for Craig: covering what insurance won't

Craig needs a craniotomy at Saint Mary Hospital and the family is $350 short of the hospital's estimate.

🇿🇦 Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa288 views
Busisiwe P. Padayachee
Email verified
Johannesburg
Craig was diagnosed with a herniated spinal disc in March. The surgeon at Saint Mary Hospital recommended a craniotomy, and He is scheduled for May. The hospital's financial office gave us a written estimate of $470, and after what my employer's plan will pay we're still $350 short. my husband has been in and out of Saint Mary Hospital since March. The doctors say a herniated spinal disc will get worse without a craniotomy. We have emptied our savings and borrowed from relatives, but the estimate of $470 is more than we can find. While we wait, Craig struggles with daily life and can't lift anything heavy. His family has taken turns caring for him, and I've cut my own work hours to be there. Rehabilitation is expected to take about 12 weeks. During that time Craig won't be able to lift anything heavy, so the costs keep growing. The money goes straight to the treatment bills, and I'll share the invoices as they're paid so you can see exactly what your gift did. Where the $350 goes: • Physiotherapy sessions: $140 • Post-operative medication: $100 • Pre-operative tests and imaging: $110 Glad we found this place. - Busisiwe
due date
2026-05-10
bill type
Hospital invoice
#surgery#hospital-bills#recovery#medical

Updates from Busisiwe

  1. Update from Johannesburg: I met with the hospital and confirmed the amounts. We're at 28% of the goal. Thank you for believing in us.

  2. Small update. $89 so far, the plan for post-operative medication is now scheduled.

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