Hello everyone! 

As most of my friends and family know I have been hit pretty hard with an onslaught of urgent medical situations in the last 4-5 months. 

One of the hardest of these last 2 medical situations being a sudden stroke that had me hospitalized in the Neuroscience ICU for 10 days here in Houston. Then followed another emergency hospital stay for what became the discovery of a heterogeneous uterine mass that may be cancerous.  I have a pending surgery on January 7th, 2026, to remove the mass but to also perform an emergency hysterectomy and to further determine if there's anything cancerous there.

All this and the timing made a direct impact on my work as the Executive Director of the Reaching Behind Bars Network, as I am not able to take on new clients until I get past this surgery and the necessary recovery time of 4-7 weeks. 

With that said, the timing of this being my stepping into the new year, my new insurance period demands me to meet another deductible of 10K out of pocket. And the insurance plan [BCBS BRONZE] that doesn't cover ALL of my medications, add to that, I'm having to come up with a significant amount of money down for my surgery to remove this football sized mass that continues to grow in my abdomen. It has been painful.

On December 30th I went to my pre-op and learned that had my original surgery date been secured for the 17th of December 2025 I would have been cleared to have my surgery at no cost because I had already met my deductible

But the Cardiologist. dropped the ball on their end for my Cardiac Clearance so the only next available surgery date then became January 7th, 2026.

Which meant that I start a new year with a new plan. A new deductible all over again.  That and a higher premium.

I began to cry at my pre op and even thought hard about backing out of the surgery altogether because I feel like I can't handle all this from a financial standpoint. 

You can't squeeze blood out of a turnip I said to myself at the hospital. 

The financial hardship of all this has caused me worry, stress and sleepless nights trying to figure out which way to go. 

It was a dear friend who suggested that I create a GoFundMe fundraiser for emergency medical hardship expenses site. 

After rejecting the idea and praying more because I am really only used to helping people and not ever having to ask for help for myself, I am here humbling myself to now ask for help for myself. 

Alongside my dear husband we have been self-sufficient and self-maintaining ourselves smoothly for years. This all came out of nowhere. My husband has stepped up like a soldier to take care of me in my illness struggles and trying to reassure me that we're going to be ok. But I see firsthand how bills are having to be juggled as they are beginning to pile up.

What were my own bills are creeping up on me fast because I am not in the position where I can not only take on new clients, nor can I now afford my Executive Assistant and manage arranging my team to meet Reentry Events that I was scheduled to appear at into this new year. To put it lightly, I feel like everything is piling up on my back.

I can't sit still watching my husband carry the load alone. My work as the Reaching Behind Bars Network Executive Director is counting on me to pull through all of this and to somehow get back to normal. I have prayed, I have cried and I have prayed some more. 

If anyone feels so moved in your hearts to help.me with donations for my predicament. I would be deeply appreciative, and I would never forget your kindness, and I'd pay it forward with everything that I am.

This alone is hard for me to do here, but I feel like my back is against the wall.

From the bottom of my heart, I thank anyone who steps in this struggle with me here.

No donation is too small.

God bless us all.

My gratitude in advance.

M. LeAnn Sowell 

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