Crimson Foundation

A message from the Chairman of the Board for the Crimson Foundation,
Christopher Thompson 

The following recounts the experience of one Senior Citizen fighting for the medical care most of us take for granted.  Please join me in helping save the life of a woman.  Do not allow money to decide her fate.

Imagine a Senior Citizen, living on a truly fixed income.  The small Social Security check she receives each month is just enough to pay the rent on her very small apartment and purchase the absolute most necessary food items.  With a little aid, she is able to pay her utility bill.  Beyond that, there is no money; period.  Now imagine, she develops Cellulitis of the ear.  Cellulitis is a bacterial skin infection that can be treated with antibiotics.  She is unable to afford insurance or pay for medical treatment out-of-pocket.  She visits the local “Community Health Center” only to discover that her treatments there will be several hundred dollars. In this particular case, if the Cellulitis spreads beyond her ear and left side of her head, it can reach into her brain, causing permanent damage.  Apart from that, if the Cellulitis isn’t treated immediately, it could necrotize, resulting in the need for reconstructive surgery. She is forced to accept the care they provide. In order to pay for this care she very fortunately finds a part-time job thanks in part to another older woman.  The Cellulitis is treated and the Senior Citizen continues to work at her part-time job as well as she can.

What if the medical care she received was incomplete?  What if too few antibiotics were prescribed and nothing could be done legally?  What if she developed Cellulitis again, only this time it spread across her leg like a California wildfire?  This is exactly what has happened.

I met Joaney a few months ago, and she is in dire need of medical care.  Without the antibiotics to treat this infection, she may be forced to have her leg amputated.  The most heart wrenching part of this situation is that Cellulitis is usually treatable, but without the necessary funds she will be unable to visit a qualified physician at the local hospital.  She will not receive the antibiotics she needs.  She will be forced to make a decision.  Amputate or die.  This is something I am not willing to see happen.  

Cellulitis

Cellulitis is a bacterial infection of the skin that is treated with antibiotics.  Although visible on the Epidermal layer of skin, it directly effects the Dermal and Subcutaneous levels.  If left untreated, the infection can increase in size across the body and spread to the bloodstream and lymph nodes.  Without proper care, Cellulitis can be fatal.

Senior Citizen Cellulitis Fund

We at the Crimson Foundation, in association with TriLateral Systems, are raising money for Joaney through the Senior Citizen Cellulitis Fund.  Our hope is to reach a goal of $5,000 by June 1, 2008.  Without your kind donations, she may be left in a debilitated state or succumb completely.  I implore you to consider donating whatever you have available.  Even a few dollars from so many good samaritans can save her life.  Please help us save this life.  

Donations

By clicking the Donate button on the right side of this page, you can provide funds to the Senior Citizen Cellulitis Fund via PayPal.

More Information

For more information about Cellulitis, visit the Mayo Clinic Cellulitis page.