# A plea for help - the price of a leg is $1500 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 17, 2019, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-for-help-the-price-of-a-leg-is-1500/840401 "2019-09-17T20:44:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-for-help-the-price-of-a-leg-is-1500/840401/1 "2019-09-17T20:44:13Z")
With consent of the mods I am asking for help to cover a family member’s medical expenses through a [GoFundMe campaign](https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-save-tia-judi039s-leg). My better half, **Mrs Iggy** , was orphaned at age 15 and her extended family took her in. Aunt Judi stepped up with her siblings to raise **Mrs Iggy** even though she is poor, even by Colombian standards. Now Judi is having health problems with a wound on her leg that is healing poorly. Her medical insurance is willing to pay for the amputation her primary care doctor has recommended. A specialist believes that her leg can be saved with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) but the insurer is refusing to pay for that treatment plan. Specialist medical care there requires payment up front before service is rendered HBOT is indicated for aid in wound healing per [John’s Hopkins](https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy) and the [Mayo Clinic](https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy/about/pac-20394380). The increased pressure forces oxygen into the tissues and can aid in regrowth of blood vessels and thus healing of slow healing wounds Unfortunately my finances are extremely tight and I just don’t have the US$1500 to cover the cost of this series of treatments. It is beyond the financial means of Tia Judi and her family. We need help, thus the GoFundMe effort. I’d appreciate any help from the Doper community. Funds will be transferred to Mrs Iggy to pay for the prescribed HBOT treatment sessions and prescription medications for Tia Judi. Any funds in excess of the US$1500 goal will be donated to [Mercy Corps’relief efforts to aid Venezuelan migrants at the Colombian border.](https://www.mercycorps.org/donate/urgent-help-venezuelan-refugees-colombia) ---
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2019, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-for-help-the-price-of-a-leg-is-1500/840401/2 "2019-09-18T01:14:28Z")
Donation made. All the best to Tia Judi. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2019, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-for-help-the-price-of-a-leg-is-1500/840401/3 "2019-09-18T06:57:02Z")
Donation made. In a darkening world of chaos, time to share some light! :: glares around room :: ---
**Author:** ![mandala](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mandala/32/95_2.png) [@mandala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandala)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2019, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-for-help-the-price-of-a-leg-is-1500/840401/4 "2019-09-18T10:22:58Z")
Donated. Wish the best for Tia Judi. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2019, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-for-help-the-price-of-a-leg-is-1500/840401/5 "2019-09-18T10:42:38Z")
This one struck home for me. My husband was injured years ago, and amputation was recommended a couple of times. One doctor insisted he could save the leg, and he did. So I’m going over to your site and donating, hoping for an equally good outcome for Aunt Judi. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2019, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-for-help-the-price-of-a-leg-is-1500/840401/6 "2019-09-18T11:03:42Z")
_Hecho._ ---
**Author:** ![icantdraw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3ec8ea/32.png) [@icantdraw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/icantdraw)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2019, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-for-help-the-price-of-a-leg-is-1500/840401/7 "2019-09-18T14:14:18Z")
Donated. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2019, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-for-help-the-price-of-a-leg-is-1500/840401/8 "2019-09-18T14:42:37Z")
Donated. Keep us posted. Lots of love to y’all! ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2019, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-for-help-the-price-of-a-leg-is-1500/840401/9 "2019-09-19T06:33:13Z")
Dude, you need better friends: they’re all called “Anonymous”! ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2019, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-for-help-the-price-of-a-leg-is-1500/840401/10 "2019-09-19T11:34:25Z")
I am simply in awe of the generosity of this community. Therapy is a go. If there is one thing to be said in favor of the medical system in Colombia it’s that the specialist can fit you in almost immediately, _if you can pay_. The schedule is for a one hour treatment each weekday for ten weeks. Fifty session laying in a tube about the size of the bore of an MRI machine. At least there are windows and there isn’t all the noise that an MRI makes… and tia Judi isn’t prone to claustrophobia. And this hits home to me in another way. My brother had his leg amputated during the course of his cancer treatment. I saw how hard that can be in the comparatively accessible USA. So thinking about Judi facing those challenges in a city with few accommodations for the disabled in the public sphere made me feel I really needed to figure out how to give her the best chance of saving her leg going forward. Thank you all. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2019, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-for-help-the-price-of-a-leg-is-1500/840401/11 "2019-09-19T13:34:09Z")
Glad ti help. $1500 for 50 treatments seems like a smokin’ deal. StG ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2019, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-for-help-the-price-of-a-leg-is-1500/840401/12 "2019-09-19T15:31:57Z")
I donated. Keep us posted on her progress! The world needs more Aunt Judis! ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2019, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-for-help-the-price-of-a-leg-is-1500/840401/13 "2019-10-03T06:12:33Z")
A happy update to this thread… Judi has completed only a few weeks of the therapy but positive results are already evident. The wound has closed quite a bit, though there is still a way to go. Her pain level is improving and coloration is getting a bit better. I added a recent pic of her leg to the GoFundMe update. It is encouraging (or a bit icky if you are squeemish) to see progress. Thanks again for all the support. Not sure how we could have helped her so much without help from everyone. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2019, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-for-help-the-price-of-a-leg-is-1500/840401/14 "2019-10-03T14:27:28Z")
Wow! It looks amazingly better! StG ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2019, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-for-help-the-price-of-a-leg-is-1500/840401/15 "2019-11-08T16:46:31Z")
Any update on the treatment? She must be nearing the end, right? StG ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-for-help-the-price-of-a-leg-is-1500/840401/16 "2019-12-06T11:12:16Z")
Getting near the end of ten weeks and there is major improvement. I’ve posted an update on the GoFundMe campaign with a before/after side-by-side photo from a couple weeks ago. It really is amazing. However even with all the obvious improvement the central wound has not completely closed. It is tremendously better, but still room for improvement. So… the HBOT doctor has recommended continuing therapy for four more weeks. I have updated the fundraising goal on GoFundMe to reflect that. Many thanks to all for kind words of support and the amazing assistance that has made this therapy possible. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-for-help-the-price-of-a-leg-is-1500/840401/17 "2019-12-06T12:02:51Z")
Donated. Hope she continues to improve! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-for-help-the-price-of-a-leg-is-1500/840401/18 "2019-12-06T21:51:13Z")
Another trickle donated. StG ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-for-help-the-price-of-a-leg-is-1500/840401/19 "2019-12-06T23:15:23Z")
ooh, that looks nasty missed this the first time round, but not this time ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2019, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-for-help-the-price-of-a-leg-is-1500/840401/20 "2019-12-07T03:56:11Z")
Done. One of the small pleasures in life is doing something nice for somebody who needs it, even if you’ll never meet them. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-for-help-the-price-of-a-leg-is-1500/840401.md?page=2)