Abbigail's Brain Fund

Sheryl Bartels Moraetes is organizing this fundraiser.

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We are the Moraetes family. Our story begins a little too very two weeks ago. Abbigail woke up with a migraine like headache. She was nauseated and dizzy. I called the doctor. We got in immediately. When we were at the office her face began to droop. Thinking it was Bells Palsy, wear were treating accordingly. Then in Tuesday night she complained of double vision and ringing in her ears. I talked to the doctor and he suggested that we go to the University to be evaluated. We presented at the Pediatric ER. That night she had an MRI. They explained to us that there is a lesion in her brain. They admitted her to the hospital. The next day there was an ophthalmology consult. We waited for some answers. Then came Friday. We waited again and finally asked what was going on. They sent in someone who told us that they were "leaning" towards an angioma. Make an appointment with radiation therapy for a consult. Come back in 3 months. Discharged. I went to her pediatrician on Monday to get a referral to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN for a second opinion. It took us a week to get an appointment. I hated the waiting, but it is what we could do right now. Now to get the insurance preauthorization. Paper work was filled out and faxed in. The kids were up for renewal May 1. On Friday May 1, 2015, I checked with the insurance company. They told me that she was not eligible. They were approved on April 16. The paperwork had not been transferred. Monday May 4, I check with the insurance company. The kids are eligible, but the preauthorization is pending. Since we do not have a prior authorization, in order to be seen we need to pay $5000.00 when we check in for the appointments. WHAT?? An angel helped us out. We were able to pay to be seen. Our appointments were that afternoon. We see the Neurologist and the Neurosurgeon. They need to have better scans done because the one done at the university was a generic one, that wasn't looking specifically for anything. Now we have a specific thing that we are looking for and it requires special scans to proceed with the proper treatment. Back to the business office. In order to have the scans we need to come up with another $4000.00. Unfortunately, no scans have been scheduled. I sit here in the motel room looking for answers. I have called the insurance company they tell me that the preauthorization has been denied, because Mayo is out of network. Were sorry ma'am. There is nothing that we can do. As a mom this is tearing me up inside. My girl cries to me that she just wants to be a "normal" kid. She was so active and now her life has been put on hold. We just need answers. We just need answers.
My husband has stayed behind at home to be with Abbis' twin brother Sam. I am on FMLA from my job. Sams life is interrupted too. We are trying to keep things as normal as possible. The twins will turn 13 in one week. We would like to be together as a family to celebrate. We are a good family. We are hard working. If you can find it in your heart to help us we sure could use it. Any funding that is not used for this cause will be paid forward to someone else in need. This has been one of the hardest things that we have gone through as a family. God bless you all.