How to Raise Funds For Adhesiologicum Germany
Here is what you need to try:
Involving your community is often the easiest and best way to gather the necessary funds for surgery in Germany. Contact the editor of your local newspaper-in person, if possible-and ask the newspaper to run a story. I personally believe you need an advocate who is the go-to person to remove the burden of answering questions, etc.. But, if you do not have anyone, by all means rally for your own cause. This may mean calling the editor and asking if you can mail a package for his or her review. After mailing the package, follow up with phone calls to make sure the editor received the package. Leave nothing to chance. If you receive a negative response-they do not want to do the story-ask if they will do a story on adhesions and simply mention you as a sufferer, as this also will be a start toward your goal. (Having a newspaper article about your condition will help open other doors.) Remember: newspapers love human interest stories. Your story is often the story they are looking for. When Melissa’s story ran in our local paper (sharing about her surgery in Germany) the writer received an award for writing such a compelling, human interest story. Always remember: You are important in this world! There is nothing wrong or shameful in seeking assistance from your fellow man when you are in a situation that necessitates assistance.
Think of your preparation of information as if you are preparing a press kit. Prepare several packages-always have one ready to mail or hand out-and always keep your hard copies, as once you put this all together, you do not want to have to redo it.
Prepare a concise cover letter complete with a picture or two of yourself. If you are not good at writing, find someone who is! Even if you are good with writing, have 2-3 people read your document(s) prior to handing it to an editor at the paper. Your story should explain adhesions (as most have no idea what adhesions are), your dilemma, and why you need to go to Germany. If you do not have insurance, say so. If you have insurance, but the policy refuses out-of-country care, explain that. Provide a concise medical history-(not your medical records)-preferably in a bullet-form presentation.
Don’t be afraid to spend a little money on good paper, nice packaging, etc. Presentation speaks volumes.
You may want to quickly draw the awareness ribbon on the outside of your package, or anything that will make them want to look inside; pique their interest! If you can’t draw the ribbon, get some stencils and color in a slogan across the bottom of the envelope. “Help me-I’m stuck!” If you receive a negative response from the newspaper, seek out your local Rotary Club, your church, The United Way, or other organization. You may want to contact your local radio station(s), restaurants, etc. If you continue to knock on doors, someone will answer!
While you may want to write your own article about adhesions, I am providing the following article (below) for your use. If you do write your own article, do not forget to include the critical key points mentioned in the article below. Your reader’s first question is why you need to go to Germany. You want to answer that question clearly. In addition, you will want to include information about ENDOGYN, and perhaps a link to the website. It is best that your package contain individual pages with a header, rather than a continuous stream of endless text. For instance, after your cover letter, the next page may read GASLESS LAPAROSCOPY IN EUROPE and a very brief bullet-type fact sheet. Inform the paper that Dr. Kruschinski will be happy to answer questions, which can be included in the story. (I didn’t ask Dr. Kruschinski, I just know from past experiences that he is happy to answer an inquiry from an editor of a paper.)
Maybe other people on this forum can add additional ideas. In years past, there have been fund raisers at churches, a motocross ride, rallying extended family together, internet funding, even a fund raiser in a bar! 🙂 Melissa and I do not hang out at bars, but we attended that fundraiser-and quickly realized we were completely overdressed for the occasion! 😉 The thing is this: most people truly want to help someone who needs help. We are often limited in our quests in life because we fear rejection, do not think anyone will care, etc. Yet often all we need to do is put the ball in motion. To raise funds, people have to know the need-you must believe you are worth it-and you have the ball in your court. Release it!
Also, anyone who wants to include an ARD pin to their package(s) to give to the recipient, please private message me. I will provide 5 pins per person, only asking that you mail me a small empty bubble-wrap, self-addressed envelope. I have added in bold lettering a suggested manner for the pages of your appeal package. You may want to copy and paste the appeal as is. Just remember, do not overwhelm someone with text or your package may hit the trash. The following article can be bulleted out as well. I will provide an example from the first paragraph at the end of this document. Many journalists and editors prefer bullet point presentations for ease of reading. Also, if you are not in the USA, please do not send me a message informing me you are not in the USA, just change that portion to your country! 😉 Here is the article:
Adhesions:
There is a disorder that cannot be seen, yet causes great pain and suffering to the unfortunate soul who suffers from this disorder. This disorder can be life-threatening when the bowel is involved, yet throughout the medical world at large, the disorder-and sufferer-are largely ignored.
Adhesions are bands of scar tissue that form inside the body as the body’s natural response to injury. While surgery is the number one cause of adhesions, infection, inflammation, trauma, even radiation, can also cause adhesions to form. In some individuals, this natural healing response overcompensates, as the scar tissue continues to grow. The result: vital organs become fused together. Organs that are designed to move freely as the body is in motion, are suddenly stuck together. The fluid-like motion is lost. Like a vine that wraps around everything in its path, adhesions compromise organ function and constrict movement. Movement becomes painful, while symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal bloating, inability to eat without vomiting, restricted breathing, constipation, intestinal obstructions (which can be life threatening), become the day-to-day norm for the sufferer.
To complicate matters further, adhesions elude the probing eye of medical tests such as x-rays, scans and lab work. Though a prevalent and complicated disorder, many doctors shun the mere word ‘adhesions,’ and quickly dismiss a patient who presents with symptoms of adhesions or adhesion related disorder. (The average adhesions sufferer will search seven to ten years for a proper diagnosis.) The statistics are staggering: Adhesions have been shown to develop in up to 93% of surgical patients. Even if you have not had surgery, adhesions can develop from underlying conditions within the body—conditions that cause infection or inflammation — peritonitis, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, and appendicitis are good examples.
In the USA, proper medical intervention for this disorder is almost non-existent. While surgery is the medical answer for this disorder-adhesions must be surgically removed by a procedure known as adhesiolysis-few surgeons are willing to take on this tedious, risky and time-consuming surgical procedure. Moreover, current adhesions barriers available for use in the USA-a necessary component of the surgical procedure-continue to produce less than stellar results for the sufferer.
An European surgeon, Dr. Daniel Kruschinski, has pioneered an adhesiolysis technique that has improved the lives of countless adhesion sufferers the world over. By eliminating CO2-the standard surgical method for insufflating the abdomen-and performing gasless laparoscopy, Dr. Kruschinski’s patients avoid the unnecessary risks caused by CO2. Surgery time can be extended if needed (often necessary in adhesiolysis), hypoxemia is avoided, desiccation of the delicate peritoneum is avoided, and recovery time is much quicker. Surgery can also be performed on pregnant women with no risk to the unborn child. In addition, Dr. Kruschinski uses a superior barrier product that is manufactured in the USA-SprayShield-(not approved by the FDA for use in the USA) to protect the newly lysised areas.
SprayShield, manufactured by Coviden, is often referred to as a liquid-band for its remarkable ability to adhere to the internal tissues where it is applied. SprayShield protects the lysised areas and prevents the reformation of new adhesions. This allows the lysised areas the needed time to heal. (In standard adhesiolysis with ineffective barriers, adhesions reform within days.) SprayShield is then broken down and absorbed by the peritoneum and cleared from the body by the kidneys.
Conclusion: Dr. Kruschinski’s remarkable success over the debilitating illness of adhesion related disorder is nothing short of a miracle for the many sufferers whose lives were once lost-often for years on end-to a medical world that has ignored their desperate cry for help. Many of Dr. Kruschinski’s patients “shout from the rooftops,” as is evidenced by their eagerness to share their story with other sufferers who are in need of help. These prior patients share their contact information at this link: http://endogyn.eu/tinc?key=UMDejVNN&formname=Patientcontacts
Dr. Kruschinski’s website: http://www.endogyn.com
©Karen Steward
Bulleted Example
Adhesions:
- A disorder that cannot be seen, yet causes great pain and suffering to the unfortunate soul who suffers.
- This disorder can be life-threatening when the bowel is involved.
- Throughout the medical world at large, the disorder-and sufferer-are largely ignored.
- Adhesions are bands of scar tissue that form inside the body as the body’s natural response to injury.
- Surgery is the number one cause of adhesions.
- Infection, inflammation, trauma, even radiation, can also cause adhesions to form.
- In some individuals, this natural healing response overcompensates. The scar tissue continues to grow.
- The result: vital organs become fused together. Organs that are designed to move freely as the body is in motion, are suddenly stuck together.
- The internal, fluid-like motion of the body is lost.
- Adhesions compromise organ function and constrict movement.
- Movement becomes painful.
- Symptoms: nausea, vomiting, abdominal bloating, inability to eat without vomiting, restricted breathing, constipation, intestinal obstructions (which can be life threatening).
- Adhesions elude the probing eye of medical tests such as x-rays, scans and lab work.
- Though a prevalent and complicated disorder, many doctors shun the mere word ‘adhesions,’ and quickly dismiss a patient who presents with symptoms of adhesions or adhesion related disorder.
- The average adhesions sufferer will search seven to ten years for a proper diagnosis.
- Staggering statistics: Adhesions have been shown to develop in up to 93% of surgical patients.
- Even if you have not had surgery, adhesions can develop from underlying conditions within the body—conditions that cause infection or inflammation — peritonitis, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, and appendicitis are good examples.