Marielle's Healing Fund

In September 2019, our beloved friend Marielle fell very ill and has been in a medical crisis and trauma ever since, diagnosed with 15 illnesses/conditions (and counting).  Her story is below, but if this is all you read, please donate what you can so we can save her life.  Any donation amount helps.

I am Lindsay Garfield, a good friend of Marielle's in MA who's been closely following her journey, lending an ear, heart and research support where I can. All proceeds for this fundraiser will go directly to Marielle. 

BACKGROUND


Ever since her first mono diagnosis 13 years ago, at 24, Marielle has felt unwell. Doctors attributed her fevers, nausea, chronic fatigue, inner ear pain, pelvic floor dysfunction and countless infections to Chronic Active Epstein Barr Virus Disease (CAEBV).  Marielle adapted and persevered, despite her limitations and reduced quality of life, often missing work and social functions. In 2018, she was rushed to the ER twice with chest pain and trouble breathing, and diagnosed with costochondritis (inflammation of the rib cage).  Marielle noticed her cuts weren’t healing, her limbs were burning and her hair starting to fall out, along with muscle and skin pain. In the spring of 2019, her conditions proliferated: head-to-toe numbness and tingling, full-body muscle spasms, tachycardia, heat intolerance, freezing thigh muscles, ovarian cyst and electrolyte imbalance resulting in terrifying disorientation. CAEBV was blamed for these new neurological symptoms, and dehydration for the rest. 


BREAKING POINT

One morning in August 2019, while traveling in between jobs and apartments, Marielle went to stand and her blood pressure crashed. She has since suffered from the most severe and complex symptoms doctors have ever seen: sensation of being on a rocking boat or in a descending elevator (with palpable thuds); dizziness; sensations of quaking, swaying, vibrating, drilling, falling, sinking and floating away - even while motionless; distinct heaviness in the body; slamming and pressure sensations in the brain; brain fog/disorientation; tinnitus; nerve pain from head to toe; numbness in the face and tongue; head inflammation; visual disturbances; tachycardia; heart palpitations (even during sleep); 75% lung capacity; chest pain; muscle weakness, stiffness, pain and spasms; circulatory problems; burning extremities with cold flashes; debilitating fatigue; extreme temperature fluctuations; and diarrhea. 

DIAGNOSES

Over the course of the next two months, Marielle visited the ER five times and learned through specialized testing that her liver was enlarged (three times the normal size) and that she had:

Late-Stage/Advanced Neurological Lyme Disease 

Severe Black Mold Poisoning (2 different carcinogenic strains) 

2 Infected Root Canals 

POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) 

MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome) 

Epstein Barr Virus 

Cytomegalovirus

Mycoplasma Pneumonia

Candida

SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) 

H. Pylori + Intestinal Dsybiosis 

Estrogen Dominance

Pulmonary Dysfunction 

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Fibromyalgia


HELP

If you know Marielle, you know how special she is - compassionate, empathic, loving, talented, creative, witty, optimistic, energetic, resilient. She is the bravest survivor I know, but she is suffering tremendously and, without employment and a stable home, Marielle needs our help to fund the long journey ahead: funds for high-level specialist care with further testing and treatments, medications, groceries and a safe, stable place to live (if you know any rent-free spaces with no known mold problems please reach out; she is currently at high risk and quarantining in a temporary space in Seattle). The doctors who specialize in complex biotin illnesses, multitudinous around major cities, are not covered by health insurance (especially Medicaid). We expect $44,000 to cover her medical and living expenses for the next six months based on price quotes from medical providers, estimates based on similar patients' protocols, knowledge of the rental market, grocery expenses and rideshare costs, with to-the-dollar prices given where possible. This page will be updated with all developments - please share it with everyone you know and ask them to share it with their networks (via social media using the hashtag #helpmarielleheal) to help our cherished friend keep going and lead a happy, healthy, full life. Donations of any amount are welcome, and every contribution will help us reach our goal. THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts. 


$14,040 2 x root canal surgery - extraction; bone grafting; implants

Post-dental evaluation quote 

$10,600 6 months of doctor and other specialist visits 

Specialty naturopathic clinic $4,700 
Neurology clinic $3,700
Trauma Therapy $2,200 

$6,000 6 months of lab testing and treatments 

Ozone + UVBI therapy $2,000
Advanced neurological testing $2,000
Igenex $2,000 

$3,500 6 months of supplements and medications 

IV injections - vitamin, detox, pain  $350 
Herbal supplements + prescription drugs $250 

$7,200 6 months of rent 

$1,200/month for a room to rent 

$2,000 6 months of food

organic whole foods and food delivery services 

$700 6 months of transportation 

uber and lyft rides to doctors appointments

You can also donate directly via Paypal “friends + family” to marielle dot horan at gmail dot com or by mailing a check to Jovia Financial Credit Union, 1000 Corporate Drive Westbury, NY 11590