Medical Expense Assistance for Devon Gray

Hi! My name is Jen, and I am raising funds on behalf of my best friend, Devon. On Wednesday, September 7th, I was getting ready to go to Devon's house, and she texted me an illegible response stating she was going to the hospital. I called her immediately, and she could not articulate sentences, and nothing she was saying made sense. I instantly knew that something was wrong and suspected she was having a stroke. I rushed to the hospital and was greeted by her friend Sam, who had driven her to the hospital. I found out that she had called Sam as soon as she realized something was wrong with her, and Sam had immediately rushed her to the hospital. Thank god! When I saw Devon, her voice had no emotion, she was stumbling over her words, and she couldn't get out what she wanted to say. She told doctors that she was lightheaded, dizzy, had pain behind her left eye, and could not speak properly. I had never seen her like this a day in my life. She was rushed for a CT scan which confirmed clotting in her brain. Her doctor stated that he 100% believed she was having an active stroke at 26 years old and would need to be emergently transferred to Cooper University Hospital for further treatment and testing. A stroke is unheard of for her age as a healthy young woman with no prior medical history.

Devon then spent the next four days at Cooper hospital, where she underwent many tests and scans, including an MRI, MRA, Angiogram, EEG, Echocardiogram, and Bilateral US of the lower extremities. She also had several rounds of blood work drawn to determine the cause of her stroke and to rule out any underlying clotting disorders. Tests confirmed a blood clot in the M3 artery on the left side of her brain. Unfortunately, it is too extensive of an area to remove, as it would be too dangerous to do so surgically. The clot is still in her brain, and she is on multiple medications to hopefully dissolve the clot. Currently, they do not have any answers as to what caused the stroke or the clot. She will have to undergo further outpatient testing and continue treatment in the upcoming months. She has several appointments scheduled with specialists. Thankfully, she has suffered no visible physical deficits from the stroke and remains in good spirits despite everything she has been through. She is one of the strongest people that I know.

However, this unexpected event in her life will incur several financial strains. She currently cannot work at her job as a pet sitter, which she has been doing for the last two and a half years, as the doctor is concerned about her working alone and with animals while on blood thinners. Given that she is out of work, she requires some assistance to pay for her upcoming medical expenses and her monthly bills. She is scheduled to start a new job soon. However, it will take some time for her to begin receiving steady income as she will only be working part-time to start. I want to ensure my best friend is taken care of during this genuinely terrifying and uncertain time so that she does not have to worry or stress about how everything will be paid for. Any amount you can donate is appreciated, and if you cannot donate, I please ask that you share this fundraiser so that we can get her all the help she needs. Thank you!