Support Ashton's Medical Costs

Many of you know Ashton Pannell, my granddaughter, and how wonderful of a blessing she is to so many people. She is kind, sweet, intelligent, highly ambitious, and independent. At 20 years old, she finished 3 years of college, worked full time, and diligently saved for an apartment.

On May 12th, her life changed; she awoke that morning unable to think, speak, or walk. Her day-to-day normalcy completely changed. She lost her job, her ability to drive, and her independence. After a month of neurological testing at Vanderbilt, the neurologists confirmed and diagnosed her with Functional Neurological Disorder. FND is a rare disease of which much is still unknown. The doctors recommended that we research and find resources to treat her since there are few resources at Vanderbilt regarding FND.

What does FND look like regarding Ashton? The episodes she is experiencing may last from hours to days. During the attacks, she loses her speech and motor control and experiences brain fog and confusion. If she has a bad episode, she experiences paralysis below the neck and cannot talk. The longest time without an episode is a week. Usually, it occurs every few days, and each episode is different.

Currently, she is receiving intensive outpatient treatment at Vanderbilt three days a week. She is going to occupational therapy weekly and receives weekly sessions at Safe Haven Trauma center in Nashville. Unfortunately, the Safe Haven treatments are not covered by insurance and cost $300 per session, payable at time of treatment. All the treatment she is currently receiving is being provided by people unfamiliar with FND. They have no experience with treating this disorder. Although we are seeing a little improvement, she continues to have episodes and has yet to have a “normal” week.

After researching, we have found the Mayo clinic in Minnesota and the Massachusetts General Hospital both have experienced specialists who have had success in treating patients with FND. We have found that out of state patients must have a minimum deposit of $5000 toward care and out of state insurance is not accepted. We have applied for financial/charity assistance at the hospitals but are waiting for approval. I know that she would like to seek medical attention from experienced specialists who have dealt with FND and have had success. Those resources are not available in TN.

Many of you have asked Is there anything I can do? I decided this could be a way you could provide support. At the onset of this disease, Ashton had savings of $6,000 for her new apartment. Her savings have been exhausted for medical expenses and transportation costs. That is why I chose this amount not knowing how much is really needed to get medical attention from out-of-state facilities.

We still do not know where this journey will take us. I know that God has his hand on her and that she is strong and resilient. We appreciate all the prayers, support, and words of encouragement that has come her way. We love you all and thank you!

To learn more about Functional Neurological Disorder follow the link below:

https://fndhope.org/fnd-guide/