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HOUGHTON, Mich. (WLUC) - Rising prices and a lack of specific medical services are two reasons why some who live in the U.P. may have to travel for hours to get necessary medical care.
One such case is Houghton resident Robb Wilson. Born two months earlier than expected, he used a tracheotomy tube to breathe for the 20 years of his life. It was removed for another two decades, but a permanent one was installed 17 years ago, which he uses to this day.
These operations have scared his larynx, making it impossible to breathe without the tube.
“Back in July, I ended up having part of my airway removed and having it reconnected to the bottom of my larynx, because my breathing was so bad I was becoming cyanotic,” said Wilson. “For the past three months, I’ve had to go back every three to four weeks to have more scar tissue removed so I would be able to breathe and heal properly.”
He says he was only able to make all these trips thanks to an emergency funding group in Houghton called Don’t Do It Yourself (DDIY).
“It’s a financial hardship traveling 10 hours,” continued Wilson. “DDIY helped me and my family so I could make that trip to have the surgery that I desperately needed.”
The DDIY non-profit is a volunteer group that uses funds to cover travel expenses for people impacted by medical emergencies. Their range of assistance also extends into Baraga and Keweenaw counties. Their help is made possible through donations and fundraisers.
“If you’re working, and your husband gets sick or your wife gets sick, you’re not going to let them go to wherever they want to by themselves,” said DDIY Founder and Board Member Barbara Mattila. “And on top of it, they have to pay for gas, they have to pay for food, motels and we help with that.”
Wilson says he is grateful to DDIY for their help and encourages anyone else in need of help to look into them.
To learn more about the organization, check out their website here.
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October 25, 2023 at 07:29AM
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Don’t Do It Yourself helps Houghton resident handle medical travel expenses - WLUC
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