MORGANTOWN, WVa. — A young woman battling a debilitating condition was forced to wait weeks for help, and now her family is facing mounting medical bills.
Amanda Bell suffers from dystonia, which causes her muscles to tighten into painful knots.
In 2014, Bell underwent a pioneering surgery at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. There, doctors implanted tiny electrodes in the back of her head, and pacemaker-type batteries into her chest. Those stimulated her brain and treated the abnormal impulses that were causing Bell's problems.
Now Bell is back where she started because her batteries began failing in 2016. The problem has forced Bell to suffer pain and mobility issues for weeks because while doctors wanted to replace the batteries immediately, her family's health insurance wouldn't cover the cost. Their carrier, West Virginia Public Employees Insurance, told the family coverage for their children was canceled.
Bell's family said they wouldn't have done that. The insurance company issued a statement saying, in part, "due to HIPAA restrictions, we cannot confirm coverage of specific individuals or discuss health-related matters of any members."
Bell's family decided it couldn't wait any longer, and brought Bell to Morgantown for surgery. But family members said the decision to do that could bankrupt them because of high medical bills.
Family and friends have organized fundraisers and set up a GoFundMe page to help defray the cost of the surgery, which was estimated to be $25,000-$30,000.
The surgery was successful and the new batteries are expected to last nine years. But the delay in getting the medical help means that Bell will have to resume physical therapy, just like she did in 2014.
Donations for the family are still being collected on its
[ GoFundMe page ]
.