Cailey Martin's Medical Costs Fundraiser

Hi everyone! This fundraiser is for my amazing friend, Cailey Martin, who was diagnosed with Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) in May of 2023.

On Wednesday, May 17, 2023, Cailey began feeling symptoms of severe chest pain and tightness in her chest, although she tried to continue working, the pain worsened and radiated to her jaw, and her physical output was completely diminished. Cailey and her partner, Brian, decided to get the pain checked out in the ER, where the medical team immediately suspected a heart issue and quickly began tests to diagnose. After blood/troponin measurements, a chest X-ray, a chest CT, an echocardiogram, and a cardiac MRI, she was transferred to the cardiac ICU and underwent an angiogram to officially diagnose the SCAD. The tearing of her artery itself caused the lower end of her heart to close after not receiving blood correctly, resulting in a diagnosed heart attack.

After a few days in the ICU, Cailey was released with instructions for bed rest, a medication regimen to promote artery repair and plans for continued testing to determine if there is an underlying cause. No preexisting or genetic cause was found, which is relieving, but leaves so many questions unanswered. It makes Cailey's rehab a VERY gray area, with lots of trial and error in figuring out new normals. There is very little research on SCAD, but current studies show that the best course of action is a "wait and see" approach regarding pharmaceutical treatment. The same goes for returning to "normal" activities, as keeping her blood volume and pressure low to avoid strain on her artery walls is the number one priority right now. Having a lot of unknowns about both her day-to-day physical health, and long-term health / recurrence of a tear/ career longevity / family planning abilities has understandably taken a toll on Cailey's mental health too.

As you can imagine, the medical bills for this event are astronomical, even with her individual insurance. These expenses will not end as this diagnosis now requires life-long monitoring and specialists. In the upcoming few months/through the next year, at least, Cailey will need to repeat all of the imaging that she went through at the hospital to officially confirm that the artery is healing. Cailey is also a self-employed Licensed Massage Therapist and relies on her body to work on clients daily, which has now been severely limited. She is doing the best that she can to still see some clients and reschedule those who need more immediate assistance, but since she works for herself, the number of people she can see directly affects her income.

We are asking for assistance to pay for the medical bills and support her loss of income while she continues to heal and recover. Thank you in advance for anything you are able to give at this time. All donations are greatly appreciated, as well as a share and/or prayer. If you would like to read more about her experience please visit: Cailey Martin’s Instagram

Cailey has also requested that any gifts given past this initial fundraiser be donated to SCAD Research, Inc. to further the understanding and treatment within this area of cardiac medicine.