Support Melissa's Battle with Gastroparesis

I’m putting this fundraiser up to help out my mother, Melissa Elliott ( Halstead ) with her medical bills as she fights a non curable digestive disease named Gastroparesis / Dysmotility. Mellissa started fighting this disease June of 2023 as she became unable to digest food. Severe abdominal pain was caused by food building up in her stomach due to her inability to process food.

This is a rare disease that doctors are only now learning about. It is an Extrinsic Neurologic Disorder of the Stomach. It causes damage to the nerves in the stomach that control the muscles which move food through the digestive process.

Melissa has traveled across the country trying to get help after being turned down by many of the top hospitals including The Mayo Clinic in Minneapolis, The U of M Medical Center, Mayo Clinic in Ohio as well as the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Finally the Cleveland Medical Center in Stuart Florida agreed to help her and was able to diagnose the disease. After constant effort she was able to get help from the U of M Medical Center to get more answers after her disease was diagnosed.

Although the disease is incurable she is learning how to live with it. This however has cost her a great amount in travel and lodging at various hospitals as well as large medical bills. Her medications are only partially covered as many are newer and not covered by insurance. Life expectancy for this disease is less than 5 years.

We appreciate any help you can give to help with this rare disease.