A Vancouver woman is in need of donations for lifesaving medical treatment.
Debra Buckley, longtime resident of Vancouver, has been suffering from a wide range of medical conditions for years, some dating back to 2004. In 2015 and 2019, The Columbian covered Buckley’s story when she was in desperate need of dental work. Complications from intravenous iron treatments caused her teeth to decay, and Buckley needed to raise $21,000 to cover the cost of her treatment.
Fundraising for her dental work was successful, but Buckley’s medical condition has slowly worsened over the years. Buckley, who also has heart disease, was recently diagnosed with osteoarthritis. She now needs treatment to replace the stem cells in her joints, or she risks never being able to walk again.
Buckley’s range of motion has become severely limited, and she is in excruciating pain most of the time, said her son, Anthony Buckley.
“We’ve tried turning to insurance to get them to help with the treatments, but her having state medical, they refuse to pay for one cent, so this is her last resort,” Anthony Buckley said on the GoFundMe he created for his mom. “Recently we gathered enough funds for 1 treatment to kick start things, but she needs 4 more to save her legs so she’s able to walk again.”
