Medical expenses for Zoe Anna Dockter Miller

We are Zoe’s Grandparents and also parents, I guess, as we raised her from age 6. This is Zoe Anna Dockter Miller’s journey with Gastroparesis and POTS! In her December, 2020 Wedding photo to Macauley Miller, Zoe was beautiful, just extremely thin and dealing with some rather longstanding, seemingly minor gastrointestinal issues. Within a year of Zoe and Mac’s wedding, Zoe’s gastrointestinal issues, abdominal pain and inability to maintain adequate nutritional intake were becoming critical. Despite numerous hospitalizations, tests, procedures and Specialists, Zoe had to give up her hopes for college and a profession to focus on her health which now required non-oral nutrition. Her husband struggled to support them through numerous hospitalizations and her care needs at home. Zoe was also diagnosed with POTS, probably exasperated by her inability to retain sufficient nutrition and fluids. She could no longer drive due to syncopal episodes, used a walker at home and required assistance with many ADL’s. Thankfully she was approved for Disability and Insurance that covers most of her immediate medical needs. But unfortunately Zoe’s GI pain and inability to absorb nutrition progressed to the point of requiring TPN (intravenous) nutrition via a port near her heart. Zoe continues to struggle with pain and sadness and her health remains unstable as she is rarely home with her kitties for more than two weeks before she is hospitalized again. At this point her husband is home full time to care for Zoe and awaits a state program that will hopefully financially “help” him as her residing caregiver. Through conversations with her Gastroparesis support groups as well as her current GI Specialists, both Zoe and Mac feel her best hope of a better outcome than the her current poor prognosis is to enter Mayo Clinic in Minnesota where the most progressive research and Gastroparesis Specialists are. She would require an extended stay for evaluation and testing and treatment. Indiana Medicaid is not likely to approve any funds to cover her referral for her care there and in addition they were told to have funds between $10 to $15,000 for living expenses before she can be admitted there. At this point, time is becoming more critical for Zoe’s health and we all hope she can be evaluated at Mayo Clinic soon. And our prayers are for Zoe to see some hope for a healthier future and possibly return with enough funds for a down payment for a little home, where they can begin their dreams.