Emily Fletcher turns 33 today. The new mom, who was featured in Sunday’s Daily Herald, is battling brain cancer while adjusting to parenthood and living with cerebral palsy. In time for her birthday, one burden has been lifted.
“Things seem to be looking up for our financial situation,” Emily’s husband, Daniel Fletcher, said by email Wednesday.
Harrison, the Everett couple’s 3-month-old son, was born Feb. 5 at EvergreenHealth Medical Center in Kirkland. He was delivered six weeks early after his mother, who has spent much of her life in a wheelchair, suffered a seizure and was found to have a malignant brain tumor. Just days after their son was born, Emily had surgery to remove the glioblastoma multiforme tumor. She has undergone weeks of radiation treatments — 33 in all — and chemotherapy.
Earlier this month, they were worried about a $30,000 bill for Harrison’s stay in the neonatal intensive care unit at EvergreenHealth. Daniel Fletcher, 32, works in the mechanical insulation trade and is a union apprentice. But he was new on the job when Harrison was born and hadn’t yet qualified for employee health insurance.
The couple said the hospital asked that the $30,000 be paid within a year, which was way beyond the Fletchers’ means. But this week, Daniel said that most pressing financial issue has been resolved.
“A social worker from the hospital that we have been working with found a Medicaid program that Harrison qualifies for, and it appears that it will retroactively cover all of his medical expenses,” he said.
The hospital confirmed Thursday that it helped the Fletchers get Medicaid coverage.
“Things are in good shape for the family,” said Chrissy Yamada, chief financial officer for EvergreenHealth. Yamada said the hospital was in the process of resolving the Fletchers’ coverage issues when their story was published in Sunday’s Herald.
She said social workers at the hospital work to help uninsured patients qualify for Medicaid. “Evergreen always wants to do what we can to help,” Yamada said. “I know it’s confusing. I see the bills.”
By Thursday, Daniel said he had spoken with someone from Washington Apple Health, which is the Medicaid program in our state, “and they confirmed it is going to happen.”
“The NICU bill was $30,000, and it will be covered 100 percent,” he said.
Going forward, they are covered by Aetna, Daniel’s employee insurance. Even with that, there are certain to be big out-of-pocket expenses as Emily’s cancer fight continues.
For now, she is resting during a monthlong break from treatments. A girlhood friend is visiting from Australia and helping with baby care. Harrison, a smiley baby, gets bigger every day.
There’s more good news. The online GoFundMe account established by Emily’s friend, Sarah Guenzler, has more than doubled in the past week. By Thursday afternoon, $8,581 had been donated to help the family.
Julie Muhlstein: 425-339-3460; jmuhlstein@heraldnet.com.
How to help
A GoFundMe account, “Emily Fletcher’s Fight,” has been set up to help Everett’s Emily Fletcher as she battles brain cancer. Donations may be made at: www.gofundme.com/emilyfletcher
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