We've Got Megan's Back!
Donation protected
My beautiful sister Megan doesn't want to ask for help, but everyone who knows and loves her and her amazing family knows that they deserve it. Megan is in constant pain all the time and has had back pain for most of her life. Three years ago, she finally got some answers when she found out that it really wasn’t just scoliosis, and she had a spinal fracture, two herniated discs, and severe spinal stenosis. She was approved for surgery that gave her hope of having no pain for the first time in decades.
Sedona’s first birthday was around the same time as the surgery, and Megan had rarely been able to pick her up. At that point she could only hold her with Zach’s help. By that time, her back was so bad she couldn’t do so many simple things that we all take for granted, like bending, lifting, twisting, taking stairs. Even leaning over the sink enough to wash both of her hands at the same time was impossible without pain! The surgery was Megan’s chance at a normal life.
One month after the surgery, Zach literally jumped for joy because Megan was able to wash her hands normally. Two months after the surgery, she walked around Target without her cane for the first time and said she didn’t feel the burning pain in her lower back that had been a constant for as long as she could remember. She had so much hope because it seemed like the surgery worked. She would finally be pain free and have a chance to do all the things she had hoped to do, like wash dishes, do laundry without having to use a grabber, maybe drive again someday, and hold her daughter without having to be in a reclined position.
Two and a half months after surgery, on the very day that she looked at Zach and said, “The pain is gone,” the day she lifted her seat from the reclined recovery position for the first time, their van was t-boned on Megan’s side of the car by a woman running a red light. If you ask her about the accident, she’ll probably focus on how glad she is that they didn’t move Sedona to the seat behind her that day.
The accident set Megan back in her recovery from surgery, but it also caused additional damage to her spine and, therefore, exponentially more pain. Over the next seven months, she’d have 6 epidural injections in her spine, 1 in her back muscle, and 2 in her knees, but nothing ever successfully took her pain away. She had to deal with pain from the damage to the surgery site, an additional disc herniation, muscle damage around her spine, nerve damage, and even an abscess and epidural fibrosis.
During all of this, Megan had to rely completely on Zach, who supported her and their family with so much love and patience. Megan still could not lift anything. Or bend over. Or twist. Or stand for very long. She could not take stairs without pain. She could no longer drive. A month after the accident, our beloved grandmother, Megan’s best friend, began to fade away due to a brain tumor. Megan felt so helpless because she could only visit if Zach could drive her, and for the next ten months, as Gigi’s condition worsened and she eventually passed away, Megan and Zach and Sedona visited her at least once a week, even as Zach drove Megan to specialist after specialist looking for a reprieve from her pain, even as he took on the majority of the parenting and breadwinning without a hint of frustration or complaint.
Megan and Zach’s livelihood always revolved around their music, but it was hard for Megan because the pain flare ups were unpredictable, so they eventually had to stop performing as The Dharma Initiative and Lovecats, the two successful bands they had fronted for years. Zach was still able to teach piano and perform by himself, but he could not work as often as he was used to because Megan had a hard time caring for Sedona on her own. They made it through that year with help from family, but they also grew another business together and became successful Airbnb superhosts by managing other people’s rental properties in Buckroe, with Megan taking on most of the administrative work and Zach managing the cleaning between guests. But they also depleted their savings furnishing their Airbnbs and paying for all of Megan’s medical needs during that time.
About a year after the accident, a month after we said goodbye to Gigi, Megan found out another piece of her pain puzzle. She was diagnosed with arachnoiditis, an autoimmune condition that causes inflammation in the spine, which seemed to explain some of her intense pain. The condition was likely caused by the trauma to her spine because of the accident so soon after the surgery. Arachnoiditis is irreversible, but she learned that there was a procedure that might help alleviate her pain, and she began the process of getting an appointment, but then COVID hit and all elective surgeries were put on hold. The music industry tanked. The vacation industry tanked. Megan and Zach went into full quarantine because Megan is considered high-risk.
The stress and anxiety of the pandemic has led to a bevy of other medical issues for Megan. She is so often in a reclined position due to the pain that she now suffers from gastroesophageal reflux disease, which led to throat ulcers, esophageal stricture, esophagitis, and a hiatal hernia. Megan has lost 37 pounds (that she could not afford to lose), and she is still losing weight. She is severely anemic, but after dozens of tests and procedures, they still aren’t sure what’s causing her to not absorb nutrients. A few days ago, they recommended that she see an oncologist to check her bone marrow, which is the next step in figuring out how to get her well enough that she can consider the spinal procedure that may help with her pain, which is tentatively scheduled for January.
In the midst of all this stress and uncertainty, Megan and Zach collaborated (virtually) with several other musicians to write and record a song in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. They performed the song live (again, virtually) on a local morning show , were written about in the local paper , and were featured on the radio, but they made no profits from the song, despite the notoriety, because its purpose was to raise funds to help others. Walk With Me has raised $700 for the Urban League of Hampton Roads , and in a few months will be added to additional streaming platforms to raise even more money. That selflessness and desire to help others (even when they themselves are hurting) epitomizes Megan and Zach. It’s who they are, and I think it’s time they let us help them.
Megan and Zach share a love that inspires anyone who knows about it, and they have supported each other through this pandemic in the way everyone would hope to be supported, but now I want to ask their friends and family (and friends of friends, friends of family, etc.) to hear their story and donate anything they can to help the Moatses. Please also consider sharing this Go Fund Me so others who may be able to help can hear their story.
All donations will help support Megan and Zach through this journey to wellness. Funds raised will go to their medical bills and living expenses so Zach can continue to care for Megan and Sedona. They’ve spent several thousand on medical expenses, they’ve racked up several thousand in medical bills and other debt, they’ve depleted their savings, they’ve lost two businesses that they had worked so hard at, and they have more and more medical expenses on the horizon. And because when it rains it pours, two days ago they had to spend $1600 to get their van back on the road so Megan could get to her first oncology appointment.
If you love the Moatses, if they’ve been there for you in the past, if their music or their amazing spirits have helped lift you up at some point in your life, please consider making a donation of any amount to help my sister and her family focus on Megan’s health instead of worrying about how they will pay for it.
Sedona’s first birthday was around the same time as the surgery, and Megan had rarely been able to pick her up. At that point she could only hold her with Zach’s help. By that time, her back was so bad she couldn’t do so many simple things that we all take for granted, like bending, lifting, twisting, taking stairs. Even leaning over the sink enough to wash both of her hands at the same time was impossible without pain! The surgery was Megan’s chance at a normal life.
One month after the surgery, Zach literally jumped for joy because Megan was able to wash her hands normally. Two months after the surgery, she walked around Target without her cane for the first time and said she didn’t feel the burning pain in her lower back that had been a constant for as long as she could remember. She had so much hope because it seemed like the surgery worked. She would finally be pain free and have a chance to do all the things she had hoped to do, like wash dishes, do laundry without having to use a grabber, maybe drive again someday, and hold her daughter without having to be in a reclined position.
Two and a half months after surgery, on the very day that she looked at Zach and said, “The pain is gone,” the day she lifted her seat from the reclined recovery position for the first time, their van was t-boned on Megan’s side of the car by a woman running a red light. If you ask her about the accident, she’ll probably focus on how glad she is that they didn’t move Sedona to the seat behind her that day.
The accident set Megan back in her recovery from surgery, but it also caused additional damage to her spine and, therefore, exponentially more pain. Over the next seven months, she’d have 6 epidural injections in her spine, 1 in her back muscle, and 2 in her knees, but nothing ever successfully took her pain away. She had to deal with pain from the damage to the surgery site, an additional disc herniation, muscle damage around her spine, nerve damage, and even an abscess and epidural fibrosis.
During all of this, Megan had to rely completely on Zach, who supported her and their family with so much love and patience. Megan still could not lift anything. Or bend over. Or twist. Or stand for very long. She could not take stairs without pain. She could no longer drive. A month after the accident, our beloved grandmother, Megan’s best friend, began to fade away due to a brain tumor. Megan felt so helpless because she could only visit if Zach could drive her, and for the next ten months, as Gigi’s condition worsened and she eventually passed away, Megan and Zach and Sedona visited her at least once a week, even as Zach drove Megan to specialist after specialist looking for a reprieve from her pain, even as he took on the majority of the parenting and breadwinning without a hint of frustration or complaint.
Megan and Zach’s livelihood always revolved around their music, but it was hard for Megan because the pain flare ups were unpredictable, so they eventually had to stop performing as The Dharma Initiative and Lovecats, the two successful bands they had fronted for years. Zach was still able to teach piano and perform by himself, but he could not work as often as he was used to because Megan had a hard time caring for Sedona on her own. They made it through that year with help from family, but they also grew another business together and became successful Airbnb superhosts by managing other people’s rental properties in Buckroe, with Megan taking on most of the administrative work and Zach managing the cleaning between guests. But they also depleted their savings furnishing their Airbnbs and paying for all of Megan’s medical needs during that time. About a year after the accident, a month after we said goodbye to Gigi, Megan found out another piece of her pain puzzle. She was diagnosed with arachnoiditis, an autoimmune condition that causes inflammation in the spine, which seemed to explain some of her intense pain. The condition was likely caused by the trauma to her spine because of the accident so soon after the surgery. Arachnoiditis is irreversible, but she learned that there was a procedure that might help alleviate her pain, and she began the process of getting an appointment, but then COVID hit and all elective surgeries were put on hold. The music industry tanked. The vacation industry tanked. Megan and Zach went into full quarantine because Megan is considered high-risk.
The stress and anxiety of the pandemic has led to a bevy of other medical issues for Megan. She is so often in a reclined position due to the pain that she now suffers from gastroesophageal reflux disease, which led to throat ulcers, esophageal stricture, esophagitis, and a hiatal hernia. Megan has lost 37 pounds (that she could not afford to lose), and she is still losing weight. She is severely anemic, but after dozens of tests and procedures, they still aren’t sure what’s causing her to not absorb nutrients. A few days ago, they recommended that she see an oncologist to check her bone marrow, which is the next step in figuring out how to get her well enough that she can consider the spinal procedure that may help with her pain, which is tentatively scheduled for January.
In the midst of all this stress and uncertainty, Megan and Zach collaborated (virtually) with several other musicians to write and record a song in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. They performed the song live (again, virtually) on a local morning show , were written about in the local paper , and were featured on the radio, but they made no profits from the song, despite the notoriety, because its purpose was to raise funds to help others. Walk With Me has raised $700 for the Urban League of Hampton Roads , and in a few months will be added to additional streaming platforms to raise even more money. That selflessness and desire to help others (even when they themselves are hurting) epitomizes Megan and Zach. It’s who they are, and I think it’s time they let us help them.
Megan and Zach share a love that inspires anyone who knows about it, and they have supported each other through this pandemic in the way everyone would hope to be supported, but now I want to ask their friends and family (and friends of friends, friends of family, etc.) to hear their story and donate anything they can to help the Moatses. Please also consider sharing this Go Fund Me so others who may be able to help can hear their story.
All donations will help support Megan and Zach through this journey to wellness. Funds raised will go to their medical bills and living expenses so Zach can continue to care for Megan and Sedona. They’ve spent several thousand on medical expenses, they’ve racked up several thousand in medical bills and other debt, they’ve depleted their savings, they’ve lost two businesses that they had worked so hard at, and they have more and more medical expenses on the horizon. And because when it rains it pours, two days ago they had to spend $1600 to get their van back on the road so Megan could get to her first oncology appointment.
If you love the Moatses, if they’ve been there for you in the past, if their music or their amazing spirits have helped lift you up at some point in your life, please consider making a donation of any amount to help my sister and her family focus on Megan’s health instead of worrying about how they will pay for it.
Co-organizers (2)
Jenn Sloggie
Organizer
Virginia Beach, VA
Zachary Moats
Beneficiary
Megan Sloggie-Moats
Co-organizer