Jeff Mazzoli - Stroke Survivor, Help with Healing
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Hi friends, family & extended family.
My name is Nikki Mier & I am a lifelong resident of Orlando, FL.
This GoFundMe is a fundraiser for my oldest brother, Jeff Mazzoli, who suffered a brain stem stroke on 12/5/2020 & spent 24 days in the hospital & in rehab. Jeff has been diagnosed with Wallenbergs Syndrome and due to the store has dysphagia, which means he is unable to swallow and is on a PEG feeding tube (directly in to his stomach) for all liquids & nutrients.
Jeff is a simple man, and a good man. He is not on social media and likely has no idea what GoFundMe is, nor the power of what networking with friends and family can do. Jeff loves sports and is a wiz at Jeopardy. He rooted for the Orlando Magic from season 1 and as a Florida boy splits his support between the rivalry of his Miami Dolphins & Tampa Bay Bucs...but his local loyalty has to end somewhere as it just will not stretch north to Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jeff is a taxi cab driver (pre-uber, yellow cab style) & uninsured; though he is in the process of being approved for Medicaid. Due to the stroke, Jeff is unable to work for unknown amount of time. His extensive hospital bills (which included lots of tests, surgery & rehabilitation) will be covered either by Medicaid -OR- the Hospitals foundation, which hopefully he will be approved for.
After his hospital stay, Jeff's healing journey continues as he with our mother Alicia & her husband Rick (along with their dogs, cats, chickens & ducks) in Palatka, FL.
With the delays due to COVID-19, his Medicaid approval may take even longer than the standard 60-90 days for approval. Our family will do our best to support Jeff's needs and the additional support from you all, his extended family will be very helpful & greatly appreciated. The funds raised on GoFundMe will help cover Jeff's current expenses which include: the nutrition required for his feeding tube & prescriptions along with the out-of-pocket-expenses for followup doctors visits & continued rehabilitation.
In addition to his medical expenses while at the MOMspital, we hope to maintain Jeff's previous monthly living expenses with his roommate, whom has lived with for a over decade, with the hope that Jeff will soon be strong enough to be able to return to his life. Funds raised in excess of his medical expenses will go towards helping supplement Jeff's income once he does return home as unfortunately it is unknown as to when he will be cleared to return to work.
If anyone would like to review the details of Jeff's expenses & how these funds will be spent, please call / text / WhatsApp me (Jeff's sister, Nikki) @ [phone redacted]
Additionally, if you would prefer to send $$ directly to Jeffs PayPal account:
Thank you sooo so much for your support!
**************
Below is Jeff Mazzoli's Stroke Story
**************
On Saturday 12/5/2020 (during year which none of us want to discuss anymore) Jeff Mazzoli, at 56 years young, suffered a brain stem stroke while he was working.
Jeff has been a taxi cab driver in Orlando for 10+ years now. He was feeling unwell & stopped at a gas station; stumbling out of his car, Jeff appeared to be drunk. A police officer thankfully recognized the symptoms of a stroke (imbalance, slurred speech & drooping face) & Jeff was rushed to ORMC / Orlando Health.
Orlando Health is an incredible hospital & the areas only Level One Trauma Center which includes a Comprehensive Stroke Center. Jeff had a full team was ready for him on arrival. Jeff spent 2 days in the Emergency Department where he received lots of tests & lots of scans to confirm the severity of his stoke & to start minimizing the effects. It was learned that Jeff has a various medical conditions which are all common causes for strokes. He was then admitted to the hospital on Monday.
From day #1 - his medical team praised Jeffs strength & will to be better along with his willingness to do whatever they asked of him. Never any complaints. I overheard the nurses at shift change nearly every day "you won't have a single issue in here, he's been awesome" Jeffs primary nurse in the the neurology unit also said he was by far the BEST stroke patient she had ever had.
The first few days Jeff was definitely weak, his speech still slurred & he had hellacious hiccups! Though we could for sure tell that the Jeff we knew was 100% still there.
Jeff's stroke occurred in his brain stem and has been diagnosed with Wallenbergs Syndrome; the main lasting after effect of the stroke is that he currently has lost the ability to swallow. After Jeff had surgery for a feeding tube to be placed directly in his stomach (which is permanent for now - but hopefully not forever), he was transferred from the neurology unit up to the Rehabilitation unit at the same hospital on Thursday 12/17/2020.
Click to LEARN MORE about Wallenberg Syndrome
Jeff spent 10 days (including Christmas) with the Orlando Health rehab team. His daily activities included physical therapy, occupational therapy & also speech therapy.
The "simple" day to day tasks of taking a shower, brushing his teeth, shaving and getting dressed were all part of occupational therapy. Jeff would go for walks "around the block" of the rehab floor and also visit a gym for physical therapy. For speech therapy, Jeff had all sorts of facial & oral exercises to help strengthen this throat.
Jeff was able to complete all tasks the nurses and therapist challenged him with, and same as the beginning, their feedback was always positive. He got stronger every day.
Over the 24 day stay in the hospital, with the COVID-19 restriction in place, visitation was limited as Jeff was allowed only 1 visitor per day...but thankfully he got quite handy with the iPad and was able to video chat with family. (**correction from above, Jeff DOES have a Facebook account set up which was how he was able to see family during his hospital stay**)
During the last day (discharge day) Jeff had a follow up swallow study to evaluate the progress. He was able to swallow a small bit of thin of liquids (which was totally impossible before) though after a few minutes, his brain just didn't have the endurance to keep swallowing and his throat was basically locked. The speech pathologist was thrilled with the progress and said that this improvement meant that his prognosis is good. As his brain continues to heal from the trauma of the stroke, hopefully his nerves will be able to communicate more & more and the swallow ability improve.
On Monday 12/28/2020, Jeff was discharged from the rehabilitation department at Orlando Health as "NPO" which means he is to receive nothing (no food, no drink, nada) by mouth & will remain with his feeding tube.
Jeff's healing journey now continues at our mothers home 2.5 hours north of Orlando in Palatka, FL. The first week has been spend figuring out the new routine. Thankfully Jeff has full mobility and is able to walk (Dr Mom & Nurse Rick have him doing laps around the yard & up & down & up & down the steps multiple times a day)
We are connecting Jeff with doctors, specialists and therapist in the area to continue his recovery along with giving needing attention to the medical conditions to help prevent another stroke in the future. Jeff is staying active at the MOMspital walking around the yard a few times every day, going up and down and up and down steps, and getting lots of love & attention from the animals.
In time, as Jeff's brain continues to heal we are hopeful that his ability to swallow will return so the feeding tube can be removed.
Jeff is missing sweet tea and BBQ - but just as the nurses said, he is never complaining and will do whatever is asked of him and whatever is needed to continue on his path of recovery.
Farewell to ALL of the craziness of 2020 - may 2021 be a stronger, healthier year!
<3 <3 <3
My name is Nikki Mier & I am a lifelong resident of Orlando, FL.
This GoFundMe is a fundraiser for my oldest brother, Jeff Mazzoli, who suffered a brain stem stroke on 12/5/2020 & spent 24 days in the hospital & in rehab. Jeff has been diagnosed with Wallenbergs Syndrome and due to the store has dysphagia, which means he is unable to swallow and is on a PEG feeding tube (directly in to his stomach) for all liquids & nutrients.
Jeff is a simple man, and a good man. He is not on social media and likely has no idea what GoFundMe is, nor the power of what networking with friends and family can do. Jeff loves sports and is a wiz at Jeopardy. He rooted for the Orlando Magic from season 1 and as a Florida boy splits his support between the rivalry of his Miami Dolphins & Tampa Bay Bucs...but his local loyalty has to end somewhere as it just will not stretch north to Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jeff is a taxi cab driver (pre-uber, yellow cab style) & uninsured; though he is in the process of being approved for Medicaid. Due to the stroke, Jeff is unable to work for unknown amount of time. His extensive hospital bills (which included lots of tests, surgery & rehabilitation) will be covered either by Medicaid -OR- the Hospitals foundation, which hopefully he will be approved for.
After his hospital stay, Jeff's healing journey continues as he with our mother Alicia & her husband Rick (along with their dogs, cats, chickens & ducks) in Palatka, FL.
With the delays due to COVID-19, his Medicaid approval may take even longer than the standard 60-90 days for approval. Our family will do our best to support Jeff's needs and the additional support from you all, his extended family will be very helpful & greatly appreciated. The funds raised on GoFundMe will help cover Jeff's current expenses which include: the nutrition required for his feeding tube & prescriptions along with the out-of-pocket-expenses for followup doctors visits & continued rehabilitation.
In addition to his medical expenses while at the MOMspital, we hope to maintain Jeff's previous monthly living expenses with his roommate, whom has lived with for a over decade, with the hope that Jeff will soon be strong enough to be able to return to his life. Funds raised in excess of his medical expenses will go towards helping supplement Jeff's income once he does return home as unfortunately it is unknown as to when he will be cleared to return to work.
If anyone would like to review the details of Jeff's expenses & how these funds will be spent, please call / text / WhatsApp me (Jeff's sister, Nikki) @ [phone redacted]
Additionally, if you would prefer to send $$ directly to Jeffs PayPal account:
Thank you sooo so much for your support!
**************
Below is Jeff Mazzoli's Stroke Story
**************
On Saturday 12/5/2020 (during year which none of us want to discuss anymore) Jeff Mazzoli, at 56 years young, suffered a brain stem stroke while he was working.
Jeff has been a taxi cab driver in Orlando for 10+ years now. He was feeling unwell & stopped at a gas station; stumbling out of his car, Jeff appeared to be drunk. A police officer thankfully recognized the symptoms of a stroke (imbalance, slurred speech & drooping face) & Jeff was rushed to ORMC / Orlando Health.
Orlando Health is an incredible hospital & the areas only Level One Trauma Center which includes a Comprehensive Stroke Center. Jeff had a full team was ready for him on arrival. Jeff spent 2 days in the Emergency Department where he received lots of tests & lots of scans to confirm the severity of his stoke & to start minimizing the effects. It was learned that Jeff has a various medical conditions which are all common causes for strokes. He was then admitted to the hospital on Monday.
From day #1 - his medical team praised Jeffs strength & will to be better along with his willingness to do whatever they asked of him. Never any complaints. I overheard the nurses at shift change nearly every day "you won't have a single issue in here, he's been awesome" Jeffs primary nurse in the the neurology unit also said he was by far the BEST stroke patient she had ever had.
The first few days Jeff was definitely weak, his speech still slurred & he had hellacious hiccups! Though we could for sure tell that the Jeff we knew was 100% still there.
Jeff's stroke occurred in his brain stem and has been diagnosed with Wallenbergs Syndrome; the main lasting after effect of the stroke is that he currently has lost the ability to swallow. After Jeff had surgery for a feeding tube to be placed directly in his stomach (which is permanent for now - but hopefully not forever), he was transferred from the neurology unit up to the Rehabilitation unit at the same hospital on Thursday 12/17/2020.
Click to LEARN MORE about Wallenberg Syndrome
Jeff spent 10 days (including Christmas) with the Orlando Health rehab team. His daily activities included physical therapy, occupational therapy & also speech therapy.
The "simple" day to day tasks of taking a shower, brushing his teeth, shaving and getting dressed were all part of occupational therapy. Jeff would go for walks "around the block" of the rehab floor and also visit a gym for physical therapy. For speech therapy, Jeff had all sorts of facial & oral exercises to help strengthen this throat.
Jeff was able to complete all tasks the nurses and therapist challenged him with, and same as the beginning, their feedback was always positive. He got stronger every day.
Over the 24 day stay in the hospital, with the COVID-19 restriction in place, visitation was limited as Jeff was allowed only 1 visitor per day...but thankfully he got quite handy with the iPad and was able to video chat with family. (**correction from above, Jeff DOES have a Facebook account set up which was how he was able to see family during his hospital stay**)
During the last day (discharge day) Jeff had a follow up swallow study to evaluate the progress. He was able to swallow a small bit of thin of liquids (which was totally impossible before) though after a few minutes, his brain just didn't have the endurance to keep swallowing and his throat was basically locked. The speech pathologist was thrilled with the progress and said that this improvement meant that his prognosis is good. As his brain continues to heal from the trauma of the stroke, hopefully his nerves will be able to communicate more & more and the swallow ability improve.
On Monday 12/28/2020, Jeff was discharged from the rehabilitation department at Orlando Health as "NPO" which means he is to receive nothing (no food, no drink, nada) by mouth & will remain with his feeding tube.
Jeff's healing journey now continues at our mothers home 2.5 hours north of Orlando in Palatka, FL. The first week has been spend figuring out the new routine. Thankfully Jeff has full mobility and is able to walk (Dr Mom & Nurse Rick have him doing laps around the yard & up & down & up & down the steps multiple times a day)
We are connecting Jeff with doctors, specialists and therapist in the area to continue his recovery along with giving needing attention to the medical conditions to help prevent another stroke in the future. Jeff is staying active at the MOMspital walking around the yard a few times every day, going up and down and up and down steps, and getting lots of love & attention from the animals.
In time, as Jeff's brain continues to heal we are hopeful that his ability to swallow will return so the feeding tube can be removed.
Jeff is missing sweet tea and BBQ - but just as the nurses said, he is never complaining and will do whatever is asked of him and whatever is needed to continue on his path of recovery.
Farewell to ALL of the craziness of 2020 - may 2021 be a stronger, healthier year!
<3 <3 <3
Organizer
Nikki Mier
Organizer
Orlando, FL