Support the Stroke Treatment and Recovery of an Indian Student from UNMC
On December 13, 2015, Urmi Basu suffered a massive hemorrhagic stroke due to a ruptured Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM). AVM is a time bomb in the brain due to an abnormal connection between arteries and veins, bypassing the capillary system. On the night of December 14, she had a life saving brain craniotomy to relieve the pressure in her brain. The stroke has left her right side paralyzed and Aphasic, which means she cannot control the muscles used for speaking. However, the good news is that due to her young age and otherwise being very healthy, Urmi can make great strides in improving and overcoming these challenges if she receives proper treatment and therapy.
Urmi Basu is a brilliant young scientist. She earned her Ph.D. in Biomedical Research from the University of Nebraska Medical Center where she was doing research on how the brain controls blood pressure and had recently started working at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center as a Post Doctoral Researcher. In fact, she was set to walk at graduation and receive her degree on December 18, 2015. She was to be recognized as a “Graduate Student of Distinction” (http://www.unmc.edu/gradstudies/news/urmi-basu.html). Unfortunately, her AVM ruptured just 5 days prior to graduation and prevented her from attending this special event. Anyone who has attended her scientific talks knows that she is at her best when she is on stage sharing her research data with others. A few years ago, the Society for Free Radical Biology & Medicine presented her with a Young Investigator Award for her research presentation at their annual meeting in Seattle, WA.
Currently, Urmi is in Chicago undergoing rehabilitation treatment at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. Her physical improvements are encouraging; however, the recovery process is slow. Urmi had another surgery on April 4, 2016, at the University of Illinois Hospital to remove the remaining part of the AVM. She is expecting to undergo another surgery soon. Her current health insurance only covers a portion of her therapy and treatment. For example, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago offers a four-week intensive Aphasia program for stroke patients. Although, the doctors are very hopeful that Urmi will significantly benefit from this program, her insurance does not cover this kind of therapy yet. This treatment module itself costs more than $20,000. Furthermore, she will also need long-term care to recuperate from this incident.
As you can imagine, the costs associated with uninsured medical expenses, frequent flights, and daily living expenses in Chicago which amounts to a total of about $6,000 per month, are now jeopardizing her treatment and recovery process. So far, the expenses have drained her family’s finances. In other words, without assistance, Urmi will be unable to continue the world-class care she is getting at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, nor will she be able to participate in the Aphasia program to get her voice back.
Urmi needs our support. Any level of financial support will help offset the costs of her therapy and treatment, and will help Urmi return to her life as a brilliant young scientist where she aspires to help others. Please consider contributing to this cause and helping out Urmi - our sweet, kind and generous friend whom we all love!! So please click the below button to donate.