Skip to content
HelpBLESS
Join free
Browse needsPeopleFeedDonationsHow it worksPost a needSign in
Bills & expensesMedical & healthUrgent

Surgery fund for Helene: palate reconstruction surgery in Cologne

A scheduled palate reconstruction surgery in May is out of reach without help covering $6,550 of the cost.

🇩🇪 North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany4,627 views
Dominik Horst Fuchs
Email verifiedPhoto verified
Cologne
Helene was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in the right knee in February. The surgeon at Cologne Orthopedic Institute recommended palate reconstruction surgery, and She is scheduled for May. The hospital's financial office gave us a written estimate of $9,250, and after what my employer's plan will pay we're still $6,550 short. my mother has been in and out of Cologne Orthopedic Institute since February. The doctors say osteoarthritis in the right knee will get worse without palate reconstruction surgery. We have emptied our savings and borrowed from relatives, but the estimate of $9,250 is more than we can find. While we wait, Helene struggles with daily life and can't drive. Her family has taken turns caring for her, and I've cut my own work hours to be there. Recovery is expected to take about 10 weeks. During that time Helene won't be able to drive, 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 $6,550 goes: • Hospital stay (4 nights): $2,600 • Surgeon and anesthesia fees: $3,200 • Travel and lodging for the family: $370 • Pre-operative tests and imaging: $380 I'll pay this kindness forward the moment I'm able to.
due date
2026-05-03
bill type
Hospital invoice
#surgery#hospital-bills#recovery#medical

Updates from Dominik

  1. Small update. $2,586 so far, I made the first payment toward pre-operative tests and imaging.

  2. Good news. Because of your gifts ($1,331 in total) we've booked the dates and paid the deposit. Still a way to go but it feels less lonely.

  3. Good news. Because of your gifts ($701 in total) I made the first payment toward pre-operative tests and imaging. Still a way to go but it feels less lonely. - Dominik

Donations

RecentTop gifts
  • Irina Andreea Popa 🇷🇴 · $20
  • Anonymous 🇲🇽 · $5

    “Be well. Hope the April deadline works out. - Zapopan”

  • Sônia Valentina Fonseca 🇧🇷 · $50
  • Bola Aisha Popoola 🇳🇬 · $10
  • Orville B. Stephenson 🇯🇲 · $30
  • Mrunal N. Amin 🇮🇳 · $50
  • Joyce R. Day 🇺🇸 · $10
  • Ahmad Dimas Kusuma 🇮🇩 · $25

    “Thought of Helene all day after reading this. - Jakarta Barat”

  • Sun-hee Soo-ah Cho 🇰🇷 · $25
  • Howard K. Castro 🇺🇸 · $75
  • Danish Adnan Siddiqui 🇵🇰 · $44
  • Kagiso M. Coetzee 🇿🇦 · $100

    “Be well. Thought of Helene all day after reading this. - Sandton”

  • Megan James 🇺🇸 · $64

    “Stay strong. Thought of Helene all day after reading this. - Los Angeles”

  • Anonymous 🇮🇹 · $10
  • Narayan Naresh Limbu 🇳🇵 · $100

    “Happy to help. Thought of Helene all day after reading this. - Lalitpur”

  • Lillian B. Lamb 🇨🇦 · $100
  • Neema Chebet Ouma 🇰🇪 · $25

    “Blessings. Thought of Helene all day after reading this. - Kikuyu”

  • Samuel F. Galang 🇵🇭 · $66

    “Wishing you the best. Thought of Helene all day after reading this. - Pasig”

  • Jose B. Flores 🇦🇺 · $10
  • Genesis B. Gonzalez 🇬🇧 · $10

Reviews

Only people who gave to this need, or whose offer to help was accepted, can review it.

No reviews yet.

Questions & comments

Ask before you give. Email-verified members can comment and ask questions - no donation needed.

Sign in or create a free account to join the conversation.

  • Hussein Jamal Abbas

    Sending strength, Dominik. Shared this with my family. Blessings.

    • Fernanda A. Ruiz

      Thinking of you and your family, Dominik. Reading this made my day a bit heavier but I'm glad I did. Please keep us posted. Take care

      • Mercedes C. Guzmán

        best of luck, Dominik. Your post was clear and honest. The breakdown of costs made it easy to trust. God bless.

        • Mansi D. Gala

          Thinking of you, Dominik. Wishing Helene a smooth procedure and a full recovery. My daughter saw me on my phone and now she wants to give her pocket money. Thinking of Cologne!

          • Renata KołodziejQuestion

            Is there a list of costs somewhere? Just curious how it adds up for Helene!

            • Dominik Horst FuchsOwnerAnswerPhoto verified

              Sure. The biggest one is hospital stay (4 nights), $2,600. The rest is in the list at the bottom of the post and I'll upload receipts as I pay each one. Happy to explain more.

          • Raymond D. Salazar

            best of luck, Dominik. Reading this made my day a bit heavier but I'm glad I did

            • Juliette Manon Petit

              So sorry you're going through this. Your post was clear and honest. After 25 years in engineering I know how hard it's to ask for anything. Thinking of Cologne.

              • Arturo B. CortésPhoto verified

                sending love. Your post was clear and honest. Read this on the bus and kept thinking about it all day. Thinking of Cologne.

                • Thiện Minh TongID verified

                  Thinking of you, Dominik. I hope things turn around soon. My neighbor had a similar thing happen so this one hit home. Greetings from Geelong.

                  • Vasanthi H. Narayanan

                    rooting for you, Dominik. Your post was clear and honest. Our whole street has been following this since the weekend

                    • Arif Hasan Ahmed

                      thanks for sharing this, Dominik. Wishing Helene a smooth procedure and a full recovery.

                      • Gabriel A. Muñoz

                        you're not alone. I work in healthcare and wanted you to know people are on your side. Greetings from Jacksonville.

                        • Pamela Hill

                          wishing you the best, Dominik. Shared this with my family. It's not much but it's yours. Love from Feira de Santana.

                          • Radha H. Dwivedi

                            thanks for sharing this, Dominik. Gave what I could, wish it was more. Thinking of Cologne

                            • Cameron K. HopkinsPhoto verified

                              Stay strong. I've been in a tough spot myself and it does get easier. Don't give up. Love from Jakarta.

                              • Joaquín W. ÁlvarezPhoto verified

                                Hope it all works out, Dominik. Shared it with a few friends. Take care.

                                • Patrick Möller

                                  Praying for you, Dominik. It takes guts to ask. Well done. Greetings from San Diego.

                                  • Christo B. Adams

                                    Thinking of you, Dominik. It takes guts to ask. Well done. The breakdown of costs made it easy to trust. Love from Eindhoven.

                                    $3,514.50 raised of $6,550

                                    Give

                                    More people who need help