Surgery fund for Mateo: a partial thyroidectomy in Aurora

Mateo was diagnosed with an aortic valve defect in September. The surgeon at Aurora Orthopedic Institute recommended a partial thyroidectomy, and He is scheduled for November. The hospital's financial office gave us a written estimate of $5,500, and after what our health plan will pay we're still $2,700 short. my son has been in and out of Aurora Orthopedic Institute since September. The doctors say an aortic valve defect will get worse without a partial thyroidectomy. We have emptied our savings and borrowed from relatives, but the estimate of $5,500 is more than we can find. While we wait, Mateo struggles with daily life and can't drive. His family has taken turns caring for him, and I've cut my own work hours to be there. The recovery period is expected to take about 7 weeks. During that time Mateo 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 $2,700 goes: • Post-operative medication: $380 • Pre-operative tests and imaging: $420 • Hospital stay (2 nights): $1,900 Whatever you can give, even just sharing this page, means a lot. - Riley