SEELEY LAKE – On Saturday, March 7, Veterans and Families of Seeley Lake (VFSL) will be hosting a spaghetti dinner fundraiser and auction to support the Ellinghouse triplets Mia, Kensi and Natalie. While neither parents Shawn Ellinghouse or Kristy Pohlman are veterans, VFSL President Barbara Knopp said, “We just want to help wherever we can.”
Knopp said the idea for the fundraiser just popped into her head.
“I think God was talking to me,” said Knopp. “I said why don’t we do this? They are in need. They have three girls to take care of and that is tough.”
Knopp presented the idea to the rest of the VFSL and the idea really struck the group. Everyone was excited to put on an event to support the triplets. While Ellinghouse and Pohlman were more reluctant, they appreciate the help for the girls.
Ellinghouse and Pohlman own their own lawn care and snow removal business Blackfoot Lawn Care and Property Maintenance. Pohlman is also a third-grade teacher at Seeley Lake Elementary.
Pohlman was admitted to the Community Medical Center in Missoula Aug. 23, 2019 and gave birth to the triplets Sept. 19. They were 28 weeks and three days.
The triplets spent 74 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Community Medical Center in Missoula before they were released to come home. They estimate that it was around $15,000 per day per child just to be in the NICU with the care they were receiving. All of the doctors and specialists added to the cost. Their NICU bill is currently $2.9 million.
While they had Blue Cross, Blue Shield and were told it would be covered, because Pohlman gave birth to three children, many of the procedures were deemed experimental. She added that when they requested her case be reviewed, BCBS decided they paid too much for certain bills and sent them letters for reimbursement.
“Insurance has been a fight,” said Pohlman. “Just one doctor alone I owe almost $7,000 just in things [BCBS] has denied and decided they weren’t going to cover.”
Over the course of their pregnancy, they drove to Seattle three times for life saving surgeries for the girls. With the girls in the NICU in Missoula and Pohlman returning to teaching after using up all her days off, they drove back and forth to see them every night. From June 3 until the girls came home Nov. 29, they put 28,000 miles on their truck at 23-26 miles to a gallon. After realizing all three car seats would not fit in the truck comfortably, they sold it and upgraded to a suburban.
While raising three girls simultaneously is the new normal for Ellinghouse and Pohlman, it is difficult to comprehend. A stroller for triplets cost $1,300 while one for twins is less than $500. They go through two cans of formula a day at $19 per can. Their medications are up to $120 per month per child. While they had hoped to use cloth diapers, they couldn’t keep up. They go through an average of 20-30 Huggies a day with the record currently standing at 32 diapers in 12 hours.
“It is more of an assembly line with three,” said Pohlman.
Ellinghouse added, “We have a Keurig maker for formula.”
While the girls have been healthy for being so premature, they still have doctors’ appointments in Missoula every two weeks until they are a year old and two of them have been admitted to the hospital. Trips to Missoula require two adults and it takes them 30-45 minutes just to get loaded and ready to go.
“There are no quick trips to the store,” said Pohlman.
Ellinghouse added, “Logistically it is just not something you can do. We are learning constantly.”
Pohlman’s mother Sharon is the girls’ babysitter watching them five days a week so both Ellinghouse and Pohlman can work.
“Let’s be realistic, we can’t afford daycare,” said Pohlman. “She has been a lifesaver.”
The NICU nurses that they now call family have been incredibly helpful as well as Pohlman’s sister Pam.
Ellinghouse and Pohlman are hoping to bring the girls to the fundraiser for a short time. They ask that no pictures are taken of the girls and that people don’t touch them since there is so much sickness going around.
The spaghetti dinner and dessert costs $10 for adults and $5 for children under 10. Auction items are still being accepted. To make a donation call Knopp 406-677-2543.
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