We need your help.

At Leah‘s 20 week ultrasound, the OB found some issues with the placenta that indicated serious infection, so they performed a lot of bloodwork over the course of 3 weeks and found that Leah had been infected with toxoplasmosis even though she does not own any cats. They suspect infection was obtained through gardening in a place that a cat had been. This infection is acute and currently invading Leah and possibly babies system.

After repeated bloodwork to ensure that she indeed did have toxoplasmosis, they determined she did. We knew that the next steps would be to get a DNA test over to a lab in California that would determine what medication would fight the parasite, but we were under the assumption that insurance would take care of the lab work and the medication, but they will not.

The high risk OB and general OB are both about 95% sure that Elijah has the disease as well, because of the condition of the placenta. Treatment cannot begin on him (other than medication that can be taken by Leah) until an amniocentesis is done at 25 weeks. Doctor wants to go ahead and treat mom and baby since Leah has it, due to the extremely high possibility that Elijah has it.

Toxoplasmosis is an intracellular parasite that can be breathed in and it attacks and affects the brain and heart primarily of the mother, and if it crosses the placenta, it can cause severe damage to the infant. It can cause cyst primarily in the brain and heart, that can explode and replicate causing more cysts and damage. At this time at 22 weeks pregnant the best option for the best outcome for mother and especially baby is to get the treatment required to obtain the medication. The medication would attempt to put a pause on the parasite and prevent it from spreading even further in mom and baby.

The lab is not covered at all by insurance and the medication is only partially covered by insurance IF we get the lab work done, otherwise we pay the entire $900 per pill for the entirety of the treatment which is close to $60,000 for 2 months of treatment. Current cost of the lab work is $700 and the medication is $900 per day, per pill. we are unsure at this time how much insurance will pay for but even if they only pay for 50% that leaves us with $27,000 needed to cover what insurance will not pay for. We are hoping insurance will pay for much much more than that of course, but we will not know until we have to go pick up the medication.

Leah‘s greatest concern is for the life of her child and for his good health. The quicker she can obtain this medication to treat herself and the child the sooner that the parasite can go into dormancy in the baby. In the US, this is a very rare and under researched disease that’s why most insurances here will not cover it or the treatment of it for the most part.

Medical costs are going to be very high for even just 2 months of treatment. We do not know the exact amount as of yet as that would depend on how long the treatment lasts, but we would really appreciate any and all help at this time for Momma and Baby Elijah Cormier.

God bless you all and thank you all so much.