Nancy Nickerson

NICKY NEEDS YOUR HELP!!!

Nicky is a 68-year-old woman who lives with her wife Vicki and their beloved Beagles, Li’l Bit and Savannah. She is known to some by her given name, Nancy; to others as Nick (a variation on her last name.); and to many as Nicky.

On March 3, 2023, Nicky, after battling a serious bone infection for several years, had her entire left leg amputated from above the hip. She has osteomyelitis in her pelvis which is a bone infection that will not heal, and a chronic wound which requires daily palliative care. Her best way to achieve access to quality of life now is to use a power wheelchair.

Nicky loves Beagles. She and Vicki are enjoying learning how to train Li’l Bit and Savannah. She is able to feed the dogs by using a reacher but because of her disability cannot care for them as much as she would like.

Vicki has established a stronger bond with the dogs because she is their primary caretaker, which is difficult for Nicky to accept as she very much identifies as a “dog mom.”

Nicky enjoys spending time with friends and family, having great meals and celebrations. Nicky is kind, caring, helpful and intelligent. She loves keeping others and herself organized by making many lists, for which she is famous.

Vicki and Nicky have made some required home modifications to make their home partially accessible for Nicky, including her bathroom, a ramp to their front door, and widening a few doorways. They also made a down payment on a wheelchair accessible van for Nicky. While Nicky has insurance, these expenditures resulted in significant out of pocket costs. Nicky and Vicki have depleted their savings and borrowed money to accomplish these goals.

Nicky greatly misses the life she used to have. Nicky relished contributing to her and Vicki’s household by cooking lavish meals, doing dishes, and keeping the kitchen clean. She loved to do laundry every single day and enjoyed keeping house. Now she is saddened by having to be dependent on Vicki and a paid assistance for these things.

Nicky used to love taking vacations and traveling. She and Vicki traveled to places such as Hawaii, the Outer Banks, San Fransico, Gatlinburg, Sedona, Florida, and Savannah, Georgia. Her favorite vacation activities were walking on the beach at sunrise or sunset and taking haunted ghost tours. Nicky and Vicki are no longer able to travel in this manner with Nicky limited to a power wheelchair.

Nicky is fundraising for (in order of importance):
1. Home modification to make her kitchen, laundry area, and screened in porch ADA compliant and safe. Safety is important because her power chair weighs 360 pounds. Nicky hopes that the fundraising will allow her access to the kitchen to be able to engage in activities she loves independently.
2. Paying off the home equity line of credit used to pay for the home modification of her bedroom, bathroom, wheelchair ramp and widening the doors. These modifications resulted in Nicky being able to move her hospital bed from the living room to her bedroom and allows her to use a handicap toilet and wash her hair and body in a sink. Eventually she hopes to advance to showering. The monthly payment is $400, a huge stretch for Nicky’s disability income. She recently went on Medicare and has unexpected costs for co-pays for her required medications.
3. Paying off the loan on her wheelchair accessible van. She pays $564 a month on the van. Again, this is a huge stretch for Nicky because she is on a disability income.

Cooking is one of Nicky’s favorite activities and talents. It is too hard for Nicky to accept that she can never cook again because she cannot access the refrigerator, stove, oven and sink. The success of this fundraiser can change all that! She wants to go back to contributing to the household and take some of the burden off Vicki. Nicky has not been able to do laundry since she had her leg amputated. She wants to be able to wash and dry her own clothes.

Currently her power chair does not fit in the laundry room. Again, she wants to contribute to the household chores and be more independent. Nicky also hopes that the fundraising will help her keep her van and free up her disability income. The van allows her to attend her medical appointments, physical therapy, and to enjoy her community. Nicky and Vicki need to change their framework on traveling and take road trips since Nicky is unable to take her power chair on planes.

Please donate to Help Hope Live in Nicky’s honor today and ask your friends and family to give too. We would love to plan some fundraisers in Nicky’s honor too, so if you are able to help with that, please contact us at [email protected] to discuss how you can help.

Thank you for your generous support!

Help Nicky regain her independence and ability to contribute to her household and allow her to keep her wheelchair accessible van!!!

We have chosen to fundraise for Help Hope Live in part because Help Hope Live assures fiscal accountability of funds raised and tax deductibility for contributors. Contributors can be sure donations will be used to pay or reimburse medical and related expenses. To make a tax-deductible donation to this fundraising campaign, click on the GIVE button. And please share Nicky’s page on your social media platforms. Every donation counts!

For more information, please contact Help Hope Live at 800.642.8399.

Thank you for your support!