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Valve repair surgery for Ricardo: covering what insurance won't

After a hip fracture that never healed properly, Ricardo was cleared for valve repair surgery, but the bill is more than we can manage.

🇺🇸 Bakersfield, California, United States2,094 views
Patricia N. Pacheco
Email verifiedNational ID verified
Bakersfield
Ricardo was diagnosed with a hip fracture that never healed properly in July. The surgeon at Bakersfield Community Hospital recommended valve repair surgery, and He is scheduled for October. The hospital's financial office gave us a written estimate of $4,300, and after what our health plan will pay we're still $3,450 short. my husband has been in and out of Bakersfield Community Hospital since July. The doctors say a hip fracture that never healed properly will get worse without valve repair surgery. We have emptied our savings and borrowed from relatives, but the estimate of $4,300 is more than we can find. While we wait, Ricardo struggles with daily life and can't climb stairs. His family has taken turns caring for him, and I've cut my own work hours to be there. Recovery is expected to take about 10 weeks. During that time Ricardo won't be able to climb stairs, so the costs keep growing. I'll pay the hospital and pharmacy directly and post every receipt in the updates section. Where the $3,450 goes: • Physiotherapy sessions: $720 • Post-operative medication: $280 • Hospital stay (2 nights): $1,800 • Travel and lodging for the family: $310 • Pre-operative tests and imaging: $340 Thank you for reading my story. - Patricia
due date
2026-10-22
bill type
Hospital invoice
#surgery#hospital-bills#recovery#medical

Updates from Patricia

  1. We're at 22% thanks to 24 of you. I met with the hospital and confirmed the amounts. More news soon.

  2. Update from Bakersfield: the first invoice got paid this week. We're at 18% of the goal. Thank you for believing in us.

  3. Update from Bakersfield: I made the first payment toward pre-operative tests and imaging. We're at 11% of the goal. Thank you for believing in us.

Donations

RecentTop gifts
  • Do-hyun Jae-hyun Son 🇰🇷 · $500

    “From my family to yours. Hope you get the rest soon. - Seongnam”

  • Yuki Riku Kojima 🇯🇵 · $30
  • Kweku Kwadwo Boateng 🇬🇭 · $20

    “Hope it all works out. My cousin told me about this one. - Madina”

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  • Aylin Kübra Işık 🇹🇷 · $250

    “Best of luck. Thought of Ricardo all day after reading this. - Konya”

  • Joyce B. Marquez 🇵🇭 · $50
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    “God bless. Only $50 but hope it helps. - Raleigh”

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  • Araceli S. Herrera

    this could happen to any of us. Don't be hard on yourself for asking. Greetings from Cluj-Napoca

    • Arun P. Menon

      Sending strength, Patricia. Gave what I could, wish it was more. God bless.

      • Rubina Shefali Akter

        Hope things get better soon. Everyone deserves a bit of help sometimes. I went through something like this 11 years ago and strangers helped me out. Greetings from Hải Phòng.

        • Jayson G. Rodriguez

          stay strong, Patricia. I work in healthcare and wanted you to know people are on your side. Don't give up.

          • Musa Femi Idowu

            Good luck. Get well soon. Greetings from Latina!

            $1,833.50 raised of $3,450

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