Surgery fund for Maria: emergency hernia repair in Belfast

Maria was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in the right knee in September. The surgeon at Belfast Regional Medical Center recommended emergency hernia repair, and She is scheduled for December. The hospital's financial office gave us a written estimate of $13,000, and after what my insurance will pay we're still $6,450 short. my sister has been in and out of Belfast Regional Medical Center since September. The doctors say osteoarthritis in the right knee will get worse without emergency hernia repair. We have emptied our savings and borrowed from relatives, but the estimate of $13,000 is more than we can find. While we wait, Maria struggles with daily life and can't lift anything heavy. Her family has taken turns caring for her, and I've cut my own work hours to be there. The recovery period is expected to take about 10 weeks. During that time Maria won't be able to lift anything heavy, so the costs keep growing. I'll pay the hospital and pharmacy directly and post every receipt in the updates section. Where the $6,450 goes: • Hospital stay (3 nights): $3,050 • Surgeon and anesthesia fees: $2,950 • Pre-operative tests and imaging: $450 Thank you for reading my story. - Julian