Need:
$3,000 for out-of-pocket emergency room bills
Circumstances:
Maggie D. was born with a birth defect that, by the way, she’s not ashamed of or self conscious about. She told us to write about it and call it what it is — a bilateral cleft lip and cleft palate birth defect that affected her ears, nose and throat. People notice the small scar on her lip and don’t realize what she’s overcome or that she was born without an upper jaw or eardrums.
Maggie grew up in Austin and when she finished high school 15 years ago she got a job with HEB on Brodie Lane. She met her husband, who grew up in Wimberley, then they got married and had children. After her third child was born, they decided that they wanted a better quality of life and better education for their kids and moved to Wimberley. She helped to open the Wimberley HEB and has been working there and earning enough money, supplemented by her husband’s income, to cover all bills plus be able to do a couple of fun things with their children every year. Her husband works in the HVAC business, so they’ve always made sure to budget for the winter months down season. The pandemic threw a wrench in their budget plans, though, when Maggie D. had to stay home from her full-time job at HEB and home school their kids. During this period their marriage has been tested, and they are working to make things better because they love each other very much. As the pandemic carried on, Maggie returned to part-time work. Her hours went from 40 hrs a week to 20 hours a week, and her paycheck was cut in half. Dealing with the strain of the financial burden affected her health.
Because of her birth defect, she was used to the continual dizziness, but now she had unbearable headaches and neck pain, too. On November 1, 2020, it turned suddenly more serious, and she ended up in the emergency room. She eventually needed surgery, and although she worked during this period, it was part-time again. Finally recovered and back at work in February, she fell on ice during the winter storm and injured her shoulder. She went straight back to work after surgery, wearing a shoulder sling to do what she could. Then again, she had another accident on Friday, May 14th. Maggie fell while walking the dog and is now on crutches. Her family believes her recent falls are due to her birth defect, and she is scheduled for more tests with her ENT doctor. Her parents are on a fixed income and help her when they can.
When we called to get some references, her best friend told us she’s a better person for knowing Maggie. She is a dedicated mother and does so much in the community. She was in awe of how much Maggie does and started to list everything. She’s on the board of the PTO for Blue Hole Primary, and the right hand for the football commissioner with the Wimberley Youth Sports Association and best of all she’s always there when you need her.
Maggie’s rent is under $1,000 a month including water and trash. She has job-based health insurance but is maxed out on her health care card. She has always lived within her means but now is in financial trouble trying to catch up from medical expenses.
Donate:
Please help Maggie D. and her family with $3000 for medical bills. She is trying to prevent financial upheaval for her family. If you have more questions, or would like to help this family in other ways, please call us: 512-648-4400.
Thank you:
Thank you to all Maggie’s friends, family and the Wimberley community! She has met her fundraising goal.
