Olivia's Fund Gastroparesis

Olivia Prueitt hasn't eaten solid foods in nearly three years.  That's what happens when your digestive tract becomes paralyzed. That and a whole slew of terrible symptoms; countless surgeries, vomiting 22 times in a day, infections from inserted medical devices....the list goes on and on.  At 12 years old she was diagnosed with gastroparesis; an effectual death sentence of the stomach. The last two and a half years has meant visits to one doctor after another seeking answers. So far even the most premiere speacialist in Colorado has not been able to offer a real solution; she was referred to a medical team at UCLA. In March she and her mother drove to California where the doctor was optimistic that Olivia's digestive system will work again if she begins treatment immediately.

She will need to travel back and forth from Denver to UCLA many many times in the next year and we are seeking travel funds to do so. The need is urgent! The longer the stomach sits dormant the more difficult it is to revive it. We believe in this team at UCLA and know that they are the best chance for Olivia to be able to eat again.

Below is Olvia's own words describing these last few months.

"In April of 2016, my picc line broke and began to leak, and after calling GI and surgery, we decided that getting a more permanent central line would be a better choice in the long run. A few days later, I was in pre-op waiting for my surgery to get a broviac/Hickman line (which is a type of central line that is tunneled into the larger main veins just under your collarbone, neck and chest) and didn’t have to wait long until I was sound asleep in the operating room, as this is a procedure that requires anesthesia since it causes pain and discomfort to place, more so than a picc line, because they have to make incisions to place the catheter. I stayed overnight to get IV antibiotics, was discharged afterwards, and got used to life with a broviac relatively quickly. I was relieved to know that it was a whole lot easier to care for (in my personal experience) since I had both of my arms available to administer meds and access to infuse my TPN.

Since I love the fall, it’s only appropriate that my symptoms flare up and throw me back into the hospital. I was admitted in August 2016 for uncontrollable nausea, vomiting, and pain. After an endoscopy with no new results, my pain skyrocketed to the point where I was nearly placed into the PICU. Later that day, my pain was lessened (thanks to the distraction of the Olympics and Simone Biles’ jaw-dropping performance) and luckily plans for the Intensive Care Unit were cancelled. The doctors also told me about my crazy liver enzymes and liver function numbers, and, I was also diagnosed with pancreatitis, which they believe I might have the chronic type of. I was discharged a while later, only to come back a few weeks later in September.

This hospitalization was caused by a nasty infection near my broviac site, which lead to me having my broviac removed (as it was also revealed that it was leaking at the insertion site), and getting another line placed on the opposite side of my chest, which was inserted in a much more accessible and comfortable place (mid-chest), as opposed to being half in my left armpit. A week or so later after the infection and irritation had cleared up, I was discharged only to be admitted a month later due to excessive vomiting and pain on the upper right quadrant of my abdomen. After a contrast study and several X-rays, they noted that I had a large amount of sludge and gallstones in my gallbladder, and they thought it best to have it as an elective surgery, just to prevent further issues, as I had dealt with problems related to my gallbladder in the past. They guessed that the reason for these issues were side effects related to being on the Total Parenteral Nutrition.

Skipping through the months, that brings us to today. I currently am home, which feels incredible considering I spent a few weeks in the hospital in February and March of 2017, and I recently got word that I was accepted into UCLA’s pediatric motility clinic! My appointment is coming up in a few days, so I’ll be sure to update and post afterwards. Fingers crossed that they will be able to have some suggestions, or at least be able to provide me with testing to hopefully find a diagnosis that allows the puzzle pieces of my history to collide. "

We are asking for help with traveling expenses between Colorado and California. The testing will take us back and forth to UCLA Pediatric Motility Center. For the foreseeable future we will be travelling to UCLA twice a month. Any help you are able to give will be appreciated. Thank you!"