Help Ocean get Medical Aid in the USA

Right now, the goal amount is completely open-ended. We don't have a concrete idea yet of how much medical expenses will cost but this is just a ball-park amount. By no means do I want anyone to feel obligated to donate, this is simply an option if you heard my story and want to help my case.
Thanks for your interest!


Hi there, and thank you for checking out my fundraiser! You may know me by the artist Ocean, or you may know me by Allison, the friend who draws (lol), but what you probably know by now is that I am suffering from some undiagnosed health issues that is in need of proper testing and care.

In September 2016, I was getting a neck massage from my boyfriend, and shortly after, we started play-wrestling, and he tossed me on the bed rather hard. There was no pain, nor was my head "bonked" off of anything, but when I sat myself up, my brain felt like it was bobbing inside of my head. From then on, in September 2016, my symptoms have only worsened.

Please scroll down a bit after the "~~~" to see my full story of how the past 4-1/2 years of my life have progressed.

As mentioned, the more my condition progresses, and the more specialists I see here in Canada, the less they seem to want to deal with me. Therefore, me and my family are doing the only thing we can to find some answers, and that's going to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida.
Being from Canada, this will cost me and my family some money. My family in particular, who have been so supportive and patient with me in these times. So I am making this fundraiser to help aid both them and me, but them especially.

My appointment for the Mayo Clinic is currently scheduled for May 24th 2021. We will be travelling by car due to current covid restrictions being cheaper/more reasonable.
We will be there for roughly 4 days or more for testing. Currently the details of the testing is unknown, the only specific one I've been informed about is I will most likely be getting a nerve conduction test.

The funds will be used for the cost of medical testing, as well as travel expenses. Any help is highly appreciated.

Our goal here at the end of the day is not necessarily a diagnosis, however, that would be amazing. The biggest thing we want right now is just some real, serious help... testing, care, and interest in my case from any doctor - if there's any possible clues of what is going on, or how my condition can be managed so I can live a comfortable life with some sense of certainty with what's going on in my body, and why it's progressing the way that it is.

My dream of course, is to continue making cute, happy, and brightly coloured art for everyone and myself. I hope I can continue to do it as long as I can.
Thank you for your consideration!

~~~

I've been wanting to talk about this for 4-1/2 years, but I didn't want to cause any alarm, and I didn't want to tie my two worlds together. My real world, and my business - the real me, and the fake me.
But now that my arm and hands are going numb, and I have non-stop tingling every day, I feel like I have no choice but to talk about it if I want to move forward with my life.

A lot of you may be aware of my neck injury I got in 2016. Directly after said injury, I got up into a standing position, and it felt like my brain was bobbing around in my head... something wasn't right. This would be the start of the rest of my life as I know it

As time passed, strange new symptoms developed. My speaking, my voice. Every time I spoke, it felt like a pressure in the right side of my forehead and in the back of my neck. Every time I said something, it was there. Pressure, pressure, pressure. As you can imagine, it was extremely distracting, and just speaking turned into a huge chore, so I started limiting myself from talking to people, or simply just seeing people all together.
A couple months later was when my facial pain started. My jaw seemed to have become misaligned, and it was always making noises and causing other uncomfortable sensations in my head - whenever I ate, chewed, swallowed, etc.

So, the first couple months of this in 2016, I went to the ER several times due to meltdowns. I was referred to ENTs. I saw neurologists. I saw ear doctors. And every time I told them about my symptoms, they just looked at me dumbfounded.
My friends and family who know me well know how many walls I've been hitting with this - all my trials with our health care system in Canada and trying to get referrals, or trying to get my doctors to take me seriously. But any of the scans I was able to get appeared normal, so there has never been any further testing.
Regardless, I suspect nerve damage.

In late 2016, I was sent to physiotherapy. It didn't help directly, but it helped me start to cope with this "new me". My life I had to live - my new, broken body.

In summer of 2017, I continued to go to cons. I continued to work. Of course, I had to keep going. I wanted my life to be as normal as possible, and I wanted to appear as normal as possible, so I tried to make it work through whatever discomfort I was feeling at the time. I have too much pride like that, so I didn't talk about it much. I went on like this casually, for about 2-1/2 years. Looking back, I am surprised at everything I still did and managed to accomplish.

But I felt myself deteriorating. All the things I really wanted to accomplish, build, and create physically tired me out. Under normal circumstances, I enjoyed doing things because they were a challenge. But now, I was just creating excuses for myself - "well, I'm just tired" - "That's a lot of work" - "I don't have enough time". But deep down I knew it was because I couldn't do it anymore.

In September of 2020, my left ear started doing something it hadn't before. Sensitivity - I was sensitive to all sounds. At first it was the dishes clinking. Then music. Then the sound of my own voice. Then, both ears became affected.
So, I started to wear earplugs everywhere, and I even picked up learning ASL.

Only several weeks after, that's when I noticed my balance starting to go. I stopped going out. I had to cancel my art studio membership. Weeks went by, and then I started walking slowly around the house not to upset my head or my orientation. I held onto walls when I had to.
This was in October 2020. I had a meltdown. I screamed into my pillow, I cried to God, and I said why me.

Starting November 2020, my mom started living with me and my boyfriend on and off, to help around the house and to help me with my business. My mom, eager to get me medical help - whether it be some sort of diagnosis or treatment, started making calls to doctors for referrals, scans, etc. I saw a neurologist, but my new scans still came back "normal".

As of Feb 7th, 2021, only a couple weeks after I saw my recent neurologist, that's when I noticed my left arm felt raw at my wrist.
As the days passed, the sensation worsened. Every day, it went up my arm, further and further, and then it reached my shoulder. I started mapping out where it was on my skin with a Sharpie. Then, it reached my left side back, my neck, the underside of my face, my ear, and the left side of my head. 

As I write this, it is April 10th - half of my left arm, my neck, and my head, are both numb and sensitive to the touch. The tip of my left hand thumb and index finger are in a constant state of pins and needles, and both my hands fall asleep sometimes when I've woken up in the morning. I still wear earplugs everywhere, and I have a hard time putting on shoes or pants without holding onto anything.
And now, as of recently, I've started noticing things in my right hand pinky, but I'm not quite sure what it is yet. This is my drawing hand...

For years, I have been apprehensive to post this in detail. For one, I didn't think people would be willing to read my depressing trials in the only way I could present it (LENGTHY), and two, I didn't want any cause for alarm.
And then three - me, who I am, and what I represent. This is the most painful part of all. My business, my art, is my life. It's the biggest part of me - it's the world I've created, and all of you are a part of that. You're the biggest part of it.
But it is too difficult and too painful for me to continue wearing the mask. It hurts me too much - I feel like I am wearing a costume of the person I used to be, the person I'm not anymore, and to put myself through it is too painful.

But at the same time, I don't want to parade it everywhere, and I don't want to use it as any excuses for any shortcomings I may have. Despite everything, my job is still my job, my art is still my life, and I'm determined to keep it going as long as I am able.

As for the current details of my treatment... as of last week, I am currently set up for an appointment at an international hospital in the United States. Unfortunately, despite my current condition and worsening state, specialists in Canada are refusing my case for any further testing because I just saw a neurologist in February which came back clear. I could go on the pros and cons of our medical system here in Canada but I won't do that here.
Due to this, I'll be opening up a GoFundMe to help with the cost for my international treatment. If you are able to donate I know my family and I would be forever grateful.
I am also considering opening up some specialized commissions for the endeavor.

As for my future, you guys are the biggest part of this and the biggest reason for my success, and I love and appreciate all of you so much. Thank you for your ongoing patience and continued support. I promise to keep delivering my happy and colourful artwork as long as I'm able. 
Please keep rooting for me, it helps me more than you could ever know.
Thank you