Help Get Brie to the Mayo Clinic
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Please help us save Gabrielle's life!
Gabrielle is the bravest person I have ever known. When she was little, we called her our Child of Laughter. She has always had a great sense of humor and an infectious laugh. She grew up into a warm, loving woman with a deep wit and wisdom far beyond her years. She is intelligent and gifted, with a voice like an angel. That's not just her Mom speaking. She has perfect pitch and amazing musical gifts. Her expectation was to use her singing voice professionally.
Her life began to take unexpected turns when she had her first major surgery at the age of 19. An undiagnosed reproductive problem almost took her life. After the first surgery, she developed bands of internal scar tissue, called adhesions. The second surgery was an attempt to remove them. She has now had over 9 surgeries and other surgical procedures, each one complicated by her body's reaction of creating more scar tissue.
She began to have digestive issues about five years ago, which got increasingly worse. More and more frequently she was hospitalized. The pain from her internal issues became crippling, and non-stop. About 3 years ago her digestive system began to fail completely. She has chronic pancreatitis. Her gall bladder has been removed. Her stomach has shut down and no longer digests anything, but still spasms horribly. Her intestines no longer function. She has recently developed problems with her bladder, as well. One after another, they tried various feeding tubes through her nose, her abdomen, and picc lines through her arms and a central line/mediport directly into her heart. All of them failed.
So, currently, her reproductive system has shut down.
She has had cervical cancer and a partial hysterectomy.
She has had Graves Disease.
She has had pseudo-tumor cerebrii.
Her pancreas has gone crazy.
Her stomach has shut down.
Her small intestine has shut down.
Her large intestine has shut down.
Her bladder has all but shut down.
She has developed blood clots.
She has had one small stroke diagnosed and several not diagnosed.
She has had two grande mal seizures, with two concussions and resultant memory loss and continuing dizziness. (evidence of neurological issues).
Every single organ already atrophying has the potential to end her life. So many dire medical events have already taken place that coulda/shoulda/woulda killed her, and yet, she's still here. We are fighting to keep her here.
Her GI specialist in this area and another she has also seen at Wake Forest want her to go to the Minnesota Mayo clinic to see a very famous specialist there, and his team.
She is uninsured and we, her parents, are paying as much of her medical bills as we can. To get her through the doors at the Mayo clinic, she has to pre-pay $5,000 and stay there for at least a week. All of the subsequent costs will be billed, and we have nothing left.
We will need to fly there and back, and stay in Minnesota while she is at the hospital. Please help us. Her doctors here have done everything they know to do.
We have done all that we know to do. It is so important that we find a way to get her more help. We have to act now, so please help her by giving now, for we may not have the option tomorrow. This is life and death. Please help us save Gabrielle's life!
Gabrielle is the bravest person I have ever known. When she was little, we called her our Child of Laughter. She has always had a great sense of humor and an infectious laugh. She grew up into a warm, loving woman with a deep wit and wisdom far beyond her years. She is intelligent and gifted, with a voice like an angel. That's not just her Mom speaking. She has perfect pitch and amazing musical gifts. Her expectation was to use her singing voice professionally.
Her life began to take unexpected turns when she had her first major surgery at the age of 19. An undiagnosed reproductive problem almost took her life. After the first surgery, she developed bands of internal scar tissue, called adhesions. The second surgery was an attempt to remove them. She has now had over 9 surgeries and other surgical procedures, each one complicated by her body's reaction of creating more scar tissue.
She began to have digestive issues about five years ago, which got increasingly worse. More and more frequently she was hospitalized. The pain from her internal issues became crippling, and non-stop. About 3 years ago her digestive system began to fail completely. She has chronic pancreatitis. Her gall bladder has been removed. Her stomach has shut down and no longer digests anything, but still spasms horribly. Her intestines no longer function. She has recently developed problems with her bladder, as well. One after another, they tried various feeding tubes through her nose, her abdomen, and picc lines through her arms and a central line/mediport directly into her heart. All of them failed.
So, currently, her reproductive system has shut down.
She has had cervical cancer and a partial hysterectomy.
She has had Graves Disease.
She has had pseudo-tumor cerebrii.
Her pancreas has gone crazy.
Her stomach has shut down.
Her small intestine has shut down.
Her large intestine has shut down.
Her bladder has all but shut down.
She has developed blood clots.
She has had one small stroke diagnosed and several not diagnosed.
She has had two grande mal seizures, with two concussions and resultant memory loss and continuing dizziness. (evidence of neurological issues).
Every single organ already atrophying has the potential to end her life. So many dire medical events have already taken place that coulda/shoulda/woulda killed her, and yet, she's still here. We are fighting to keep her here.
Her GI specialist in this area and another she has also seen at Wake Forest want her to go to the Minnesota Mayo clinic to see a very famous specialist there, and his team.
She is uninsured and we, her parents, are paying as much of her medical bills as we can. To get her through the doors at the Mayo clinic, she has to pre-pay $5,000 and stay there for at least a week. All of the subsequent costs will be billed, and we have nothing left.
We will need to fly there and back, and stay in Minnesota while she is at the hospital. Please help us. Her doctors here have done everything they know to do.
We have done all that we know to do. It is so important that we find a way to get her more help. We have to act now, so please help her by giving now, for we may not have the option tomorrow. This is life and death. Please help us save Gabrielle's life!
Organizer
Sharon L. Backus Hanson
Organizer
Portsmouth, VA
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