Support Miriam's 5th Heart Surgery Journey

It has been 6 years since Miriam’s last open heart surgery, and unfortunately, she is due for her 5th surgery.

Though the Marsala/Peterson family has health insurance, the covered costs, along with a high out-of-pocket max, can be challenging to manage. With four heart surgeries under her belt, with more follow-up appointments and prescription meds, she literally and figuratively has a "million-dollar smile." Although insurance will cover a significant portion of the costs, specific procedures and expenses require pre-approval or are only covered up to her family's allowed limit. This, in addition to the cost of gas to travel to the Twin Cities for her follow-up appointments and having to reduce workdays to devote to her doctors' visits, quickly adds up. She used to qualify for waiver programs through the state, but may no longer. Keeping on top of the bills can get difficult.

One might then ask, how do you put a price on someone’s life? I suppose you don’t realize the full extent of this until you see a medical bill that asks you to pay for the cost of saving it.

Laura (mom) mentioned that it's always hard to ask for and accept help. The last time they did a GoFundMe, they were amazed by the overwhelming support and love people showed them, and it has paid off, saving them from immense medical debt. While they wish that the healthcare system were such that families like Miriam's didn’t need the extra help, they can only hope to pay it forward with love. Thank you for your support.