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Hope
Florida
Idiopathic GP
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***Hope's Hope Rally***
Sponsored by G-PACT
November 6-19, 2003
Please help Hope in her battle against gastroparesis and Leukemia! The
following letter mailed to the GP Support Group describes this
event!
November 6, 2003:
Most of you are aware of the
difficult situation that one of our fellow members is battling right
now. Hope, a 38 year old with idiopathic gastroparesis, relies on
j-tube feedings for all of her nutrition. As many of us personally
experience, tube feedings are vital to our life, health, and well being.
Many of us would not be alive today if not for this medical option. The
only alternative to tube feedings for those who can't eat is IV
nutrition known as TPN or Total Parenteral Nutrition. Unfortunately, TPN
usually carries more serious consequences than tube feedings
due to the risk of sepsis (infection in the bloodstream), liver failure,
blood clots, among others. Hope has been on TPN in the past and suffered
from recurrent sepsis requiring high doses and long-term IV antibiotics
which can also lead to serious complications as well.
Hope relies on her
j-tube feedings for over 1,000 calories per day. In addition, Hope was
recently diagnosed with chronic leukemia and now must deal with
chemotherapy on top of gastroparesis, tube feedings, and other health
complications. Unfortunately, the problems do not end there. Hope has
been denied disability and Medicaid multiple times in the state of
Florida
. She has been told she is not eligible to appeal until the year 2005.
Hope has no insurance coverage for the mounting medical bills, and she
is unable to work due to chronic nausea, vomiting, nutritional
imbalances, hypoglycemia, recurrent sepsis, leukemia, and chemotherapy.
Any form of invasive nutritional support requires a large amount of
money. Many insurance companies do not consider this to be a medically
necessary treatment option because they classify it as "food".
However, patients receiving this form of nutrition desperately need it
in order to sustain life because they are unable to ingest enough
calories orally to survive. In Hope's situation, tube feedings are
as vital to her life as chemotherapy, yet she has no way to pay for
them.
Hope's tube
feeding formula, Subdue Plus, costs $215 for six days. That doesn't
include other necessary supplies such as feeding bags, syringes,
drainage bags, drain sponges, medical tape, and others. Thus far, Hope's
expenses have been covered by many gracious people who have donated
to her cause in the form of supplies and funds for her nutrition.
Unfortunately, it is impossible for even the most generous donors to be
able to donate to such an expensive cause on an ongoing basis. Hope
literally lives each day wondering if she will have any nutrition the
next day, week, or month to stay alive. She needs nutrition to help her
body become strong enough to battle the leukemia as well.
In response to Hope's
difficult circumstances, the
G-PACT
Board of Directors has declared the weeks of
November 6, 2003-November
19, 2003 as "Hope's Hope Rally". The purpose of Hope’s Hope
Rally is to work together to bring attention to Hope's needs, but also
to branch out and find ways to meet the needs of the thousands of other
Americans in similar situations. Gastroparesis is under recognized
in the
US
. While we are working to increase awareness of this condition
nationwide, we are also focusing on the needs that patients have now,
and help them out as much as possible to receive the care and support
they need while we search for better treatment options.
The Directors of
G-PACT
are encouraging everyone to pitch in and help Hope out in some manner.
This could be through donations of supplies or her specified tube
formula, or through lobbying on her behalf for ways that she can
continue to receive this much needed therapy.
G-PACT
staff members and volunteers are coordinating this process in order to
ensure that our voices are heard. If you cannot donate financially in
some way, please support Hope, and thousands like her, in other ways.
There are many ways that you can make a difference in Hopes life!
G-PACT
’s Urgent Need’s Staff is coordinating this and available to help
you discover the many opportunities we have for you to help! Together,
we can not only make a difference in Hope’s life, but in the lives of
so many others suffering and in need of support. Please contact us at hopeshope@g-pact.org
for more information on how you can help, or for information on where to
send supplies. Financial donations can be made through our website at http://www.g-pact.org/findonations.htm,
Paypal e-mail finances@g-pact.org,
telephone 1-888-820-0729 x 82, or mail check or money order to:
Veronica Pennington
Vice President/Financial Officer
G-PACT
Ohio Office
P.O. Box 674
Bellefontaine
,
OH
43311-0674
*Please specify that
your donation is to be used for Hope’s Hope!
Check this site
regularly for updates on this rally, as well to view a list of medical
supplies Hope needs!
***The
information in this notice was written and published by G-PACT for the
purposes of advancing Hope's Hope Rally, sponsored in full by G-PACT.
All material was approved for release to the public in order to increase
awareness of this situation in an effort to provide Hope with the best
care and support possible. This information may be used in conjunction
with Hope's Hope Rally, but it cannot be changed in any way to be used
for any purpose than that which it was originally intended. G-PACT
reserves the right to take any necessary action if this story or
situation is misconstrued in any way or changed to release false
information for any reason.
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