Approved!

Yesterday, Friday, Educators Mutual called us at 12:30 to tell us that we'd been denied once more.  Sad, mad.  Then at 4:30 on Friday we got another call saying we'd been approved.  Finally, an independent reviewer determined that the surgery was NOT experimental.  What a genius!  The insurance went over all the details to make sure we understood that it was "not in network" and that they would only cover 80% of the allowed amounts.  The 20% and anything over the allowed amount was ours to pay.  We didn't care.  This news meant we could do the surgery!  Thank you Educators Mutual.

I immediately called Childrens Memorial Hermann Hospital, so they wouldn't cancel the operating room for Tuesday.  They too had faith that it would work out and hadn't cancelled the surgery yet.  Then I called the news to give them the latest for their 5:00 story.  Then I called my mom.  That was a sweet phone call.  I know this has been  hard for her, and she longs to live closer.

The past 24 hours have been a whirlwind.  The news was here yesterday evening.  When they left, the anchors, camera men and producers gave us all hugs.  Then Dan Rascon, anchor for Channel 2, brought his whole family to Del Taco today.  As painful as it was to be on the news, we are so grateful for the coverage.  Here are the two stories from last night:

http://www.abc4.com/content/news/top_stories/story/Family-beats-insurance-company-for-babys-surgery/wOjzArdLpkOJDxPVZmQnqQ.cspx
http://kutv.com/news/top-stories/stories/vid_1126.shtml

Today was a piece of heaven!  I cannot find adequate words to write our experience at Del Taco for the fundraiser.  Every person  we saw was an angel!  Lesa and Ryan spent countless hours putting this together.  Only they could pull off an event so grand!  Friends and family all pitched in to make banners, posters, fill balloons, mop floors, wipe tables, wash dishes, and make it all happen.  The staff at Del Taco worked amazingly hard.  Our neighbor sacrificed a trip to Idaho for a wedding to put together the local talent.  Amazing musicians spent hours sharing their talents.  Strangers came up to say hello and lend their support.  One man came up and gave me a donation.  I asked for his name, and his response was, "My name doesn't matter.  I saw you on the news and I wanted to give."  I asked if I could hug him, and he let me.  It was tender.  We couldn't believe the friends who we hadn't seen since childhood or college.  I truly don't know how we could ever be deserving of such wonderful people in our lives.  We stayed around for six hours, but finally had to go home to get ready for this next week.  We continued to have friends stop by the house.  Lesa calls every 30 minutes to tell me another story of friends or strangers stopping by.  One family had their kids work all day to earn money for dinner tonight.  They each had to pay for their own food to help Baby Maggie. I regret we can't greet and thank each person there.  I remember at our wedding reception being over come with love for so many.  But I think this was even sweeter.  Are we grateful enough?  Thank you.  Thank you.

Here's the news story from tonight about the fundraiser.  http://www.kutv.com/news/top-stories/stories/vid_1130.shtml

http://s1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff438/milliekillpack/?action=view&current=SpinaBifidaFundraiser.mp4

We leave for Houston first thing on Monday morning.  Check into the hospital that afternoon.  Surgery at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday.  

Love you all!