Hello, my name is Tristan Poellot. I'm a 29 year old, living in a small Nebraska town. In march I was an eager, high-performing college student and entrepreneur with his whole life ahead of him. I was looking forward to graduating and starting my next business or moving to Nevada to find a rewarding career. The only medical issues I had were diabetes and narcolepsy, both of which were well managed.

Unfortunately, my hopes were dashed, as my health took a turn for the worst. I lost 18 pounds between March and June, suffered many cardiac events that have sent me to the E.R., I have lost my ability to balance and walk normally, I have frequent near-fainting episodes, chronic pressure in my head, and many other debilitating symptoms. These symptoms have left me unable to walk without an assisting device and I can hardly drive around town.

To put that in perspective, I used to pick up and drive out of state on a whim, and in march I was bowling twice a week and working on vehicles in addition to attending college and caring for myself and my 2 dogs. Now my mom needs to care for me again, as though I am a toddler, and my dogs have to spend days at a time without me while she monitors my health after another E.R. visit. I am so weak I cannot even lift a bowling ball, and I couldn't throw it if I could lift it, because I must use a cane to support myself.

Since June, I have also had difficulty swallowing, which has limited my food intake, and therfore my ability to increase my weight back to a healthy level. I am now down to just over 130 lbs, after weighing approx. 155lbs since high school.

Doctors in Nebraska don't want to take my case seriously, and keep dismissing my symptoms even though they are severely debilitating. My last hope is to get into Mayo Clinic to try to achieve a diagnosis and prognosis and hopefully find a plan of treatment or a cure before I succumb to my illness. I truly fear that if I dont get help in the next few weeks or months, I will end up dead. For those that know me, you know I'm a hyperlogical person, so I don't make that statement lightly.

Unfortunately, Mayo Clinic requires a $5000 deposit just to be seen to determine care needs. From that deposit, they will draw down to cover appointment costs. I am hoping once care is established that I will be eligible for charitable care, but I first need to be seen urgently. Unfortunately my health has made it so I cannot work in my current state.

Thus, I am asking for help to raise the $5000 deposit so that I may be seen at Mayo, and hopefully, with any luck and lots of thoughts and prayers, return to living my normal life as a relatively healthy 29 year old.

I'd love to finish the last 3 credit hours of my degree, to find rewarding work, to start businesses, to go golfing and bowling, to spend time with friends, to get my pilots license, or even just to eat and walk and talk normally. Please, if you can spare anything to help me, kindly donate to my cause. Friends and family, please share this as much as you can. Thank you so very much!

Tristan