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Madelyn's gallbladder removal can't wait - please help us cover the bill

After osteoarthritis in the right knee, Madelyn was cleared for gallbladder removal, but the bill is more than we can manage.

🇦🇺 Australia2,551 views
Madelyn Espinoza
Email verifiedAddress verified
Ballarat
In September I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in the right knee. My surgeon at Ballarat Orthopedic Institute recommended gallbladder removal, and I have been placed on the schedule for November. The hospital's financial office gave me a written estimate of $5,750, and after what my employer's plan will pay, I'm still $4,500 short. Doctors at Ballarat Orthopedic Institute told me osteoarthritis in the right knee will get worse without gallbladder removal. I work as a farm laborer, and I have saved what I can, but the estimate of $5,750 is far beyond what I've. Until the surgery I can't work full days, and my hours as a farm laborer have already been cut. Every week of waiting means more pain and a bigger risk. Recovery is expected to take about 3 weeks. I'll not be able to climb stairs during that time, so this has become a financial emergency as well as a medical one. I'll pay the hospital and pharmacy directly and post every receipt in the updates section. Where the $4,500 goes: • Post-operative medication: $340 • Travel and lodging for the family: $410 • Hospital stay (4 nights): $2,450 • Physiotherapy sessions: $660 • Pre-operative tests and imaging: $640 Thanks for being kind about this.
due date
2026-11-12
bill type
Hospital invoice
#surgery#hospital-bills#recovery#medical

Updates from Madelyn

  1. Quick update: $440 raised so far (10%). I made the first payment toward travel and lodging for the family. Receipts coming as soon as I have them.

Donations

RecentTop gifts
  • Leonardo B. Pena 🇬🇧 · $25

    “Hope it all works out. I'm in Aberdeen, thinking of you.”

  • Cooper McDaniel 🇬🇧 · $15
  • Rina Lipi Dutta 🇮🇳 · $25
  • Duygu Yasemin Kılıç 🇹🇷 · $25
  • Emily Washington 🇺🇸 · $10
  • Konjit Tadesse 🇪🇹 · $77

    “From my family to yours. Small amount but sent with love. - Bahir Dar”

  • Lestari Bunga Effendi 🇮🇩 · $8

    “Thought of Madelyn all day after reading this. - Jakarta Selatan”

  • Anonymous 🇺🇸 · $10

    “Praying for you! - Minneapolis”

  • Esther Tabitha Ngowi 🇺🇬 · $20
  • Brooklyn B. Jimenez 🇨🇦 · $26
  • Jayanthi F. Nambiar 🇮🇳 · $25
  • Nabirye Atieno Mussa 🇰🇪 · $25
  • Nikhil C. Malhotra 🇮🇳 · $500

    “God bless. Only $500 but hope it helps.”

  • Sachin Doshi 🇮🇳 · $63

    “Wishing you the best. Only $63 but hope it helps. - Rohini”

  • Antoine Laurent 🇫🇷 · $5
  • Yewande Ronke Daramola 🇳🇬 · $10

    “Keep your head up. Hope the November deadline works out. - Ikeja”

  • Omar Ibrahim Mansour 🇪🇬 · $10

    “Rooting for you. This is from my last paycheck, glad to do it. - Shubra”

  • Felipe Luiz Teixeira 🇧🇷 · $50

    “Praying for you. Been where you're, it gets better. - Guarulhos”

  • Anonymous 🇳🇬 · $73
  • Melanie N. Miranda 🇺🇸 · $10

Reviews

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Questions & comments

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  • Utami Hani Tan

    Gave what I could, wish it was more. Sent it to 25 people at work

    • Francisco L. SolísQuestion

      can I help in a way that isn't money? I'm near Ballarat.

      • Hasan Abdul Banerjee

        Shared it with a few friends. Love from Dresden

        • Edoardo Christian Lombardi

          Hope it all works out. I work in healthcare and wanted you to know people are on your side. Read this on the bus and kept thinking about it all day. Greetings from Leipzig.

          • Hendra Heru Ramadhan

            Take care, Madelyn. This could happen to any of us. Don't give up. Thinking of Ballarat.

            • Roman T. Molina

              Thanks for sharing this. Get well soon. We're a small family in Los Angeles but we're thinking of you. God bless

              • Dung Minh Pham

                good luck, Madelyn. Everyone deserves a bit of help sometimes

                • Joy Saif RoyAddress verified

                  wishing you the best, Madelyn. Your post was clear and honest. I'll check back for the next update!

                  • Pilar J. Ramírez

                    Thinking of you, Madelyn. This could happen to any of us. My daughter saw me on my phone and now she wants to give her pocket money.

                    • Faisal Bilal Osman

                      Thanks for sharing this, Madelyn. Hope the treatment goes smoothly and recovery is quick. Take care

                      • Adnan Kamran Abbasi

                        Thinking of you and your family. Get well soon. Thinking of Ballarat.

                        • Carmen E. EstradaID verified

                          wishing you peace, Madelyn. Shared this with my family. Thinking of Ballarat!

                          • Geeta H. Mehra

                            Wishing you the best, Madelyn. I work in healthcare and wanted you to know people are on your side. Thinking of Ballarat.

                            • Ethan P. Cook

                              Thinking of you and your family, Madelyn. Hope you get there. Wish I lived closer to Breda so I could bring a meal. Blessings

                              $1,602 raised of $4,500

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