My name is Lori and I’m reaching out to ask for your help in supporting my daughter, Holly and her husband Tom due to medical bills from an endometriosis diagnosis and excision surgery.

At just 34 years old, Holly has unknowingly battled the pain of endometriosis for over 20 years. From her teenage years until now, she has seen well over 10 different doctors, each offering the same solution – birth control – without ever truly investigating the root cause of her pain and symptoms or truly listening to her and her concerns. After she had her two boys, Holly's symptoms became unbearable, impacting her ability to care for the kids, enjoy family time, and even work.

Since the fall of 2024, her struggle intensified, leading to 3 visits to the emergency room since December. Thankfully, during the first ER visit, a compassionate team of nurses and doctors refused to dismiss her pain. A CT scan finally revealed the culprit: cystic endometriosis, a lemon-sized mass pressing between her uterus and colon. She was urgently referred to an endometriosis specialist, whom she saw the following week.

Unfortunately, her initial experience with this specialist was disheartening. Instead of receiving timely treatment and a plan for surgery, Holly was subjected to a series of tests, endured two more painful menstrual cycles, and was ultimately told there was nothing they could do for her pain except to go back to the ER when it became unbearable. The ER then said the same – sorry, there isn’t anything else we can do and made her feel like she was crazy. They dismissed her with a script of Oxy. After connected with the specialist again, she was advised to try a medication that would take 6 to 8 weeks to show any effect, meaning another month or two of intense pain, missed work, and lost time with her family. These flares were so severe that Holly could only describe the pain as being akin to childbirth. After more ultrasounds, another CT scan and an MRI the specialist was still very dismissive to the point Holly felt gaslit. She decided to seek a second opinion.

Through the incredible support of the Nancy's Nook Facebook group, Holly found a phenomenal surgeon who had a great team behind her. Within the first five minutes of speaking with the endometriosis excision specialist, who had already thoroughly reviewed all her previous scans and reports, Holly was told that her endometriosis was severe. Given that she and Tom were done having children, the specialist highly recommended a laparoscopy along with a hysterectomy, appendectomy, and the possibility of a bowel resection. Surgery was scheduled just a few weeks later, and Holly finally felt heard.

However, they hit a roadblock. While the hospital and its staff were "in network," the highly skilled surgeons were not. Despite fighting this decision until 12 hours before the surgery, the insurance company ultimately denied coverage for the surgeons following a peer-to-peer review. Their reasoning? Why didn't Holly see an in-network provider? But she did! The in-network doctors recommended were primarily OB/GYNs with no specialized experience in endometriosis excision surgery – the very expertise needed to effectively treat this disease.

Now, Holly and Tom are facing an $18,000 bill for the surgeons' fees, $6,000 of which was required to be paid upfront before the surgery. This is on top of the roughly $5,000 they are still paying off from the ER visits, bloodwork, scans, and ultrasounds that began in December.

The wonderful news is that Holly is now three weeks post-operative and feels like a completely new person! Recovery was intense but the constant pain and inflammation that she endured for so many years have already significantly decreased. We are praying with all our hearts that this is the beginning of a long, happy, and pain-free life for her.

We are humbly asking for any contribution you might be able to make to help them with the remaining medical bills. Your generosity will go directly towards covering the costs that insurance should have covered.

Thank you for your kindness and support!