Support Ashley's Journey to a Healthier Heart

My name is Ashley. I was born with congenital heart disease, diagnosed at age 13. For the past 24 years, I have struggled with heart issues. Since being diagnosed, my heart function has decreased, and it doesn’t pump enough blood. This requires yearly MRI’s and close monitoring. Because I have a bicuspid aortic valve, it caused a dilation (aneurysm) of my aorta. The only fix for this is surgical intervention (a full valve replacement or aneurysm repair). Typically, surgery isn’t recommended until a certain measurement is met, 5cm. Mine currently measures 4.9. I’m right in the grey zone.

I recently reached out to Cleveland Clinic for a second opinion on surgical intervention as my husband and I would like to expand our family possibly in the future. I sent my records and scans there, and they decided to take my case. I have a surgeon assigned and everything. The only thing standing in my way, sadly, is insurance. It won’t cover any of the pre-surgical testing I need to proceed.

I’m one step away from the constant fatigue going away. Without insurance paying, I’m stuck with having to come up with $1,745 as a deposit to have the testing done. CC declined me for them to cover the radiology portion…they said I could have the lab and echo and EKG done, but this doesn’t help when the surgeon needs scans to properly set a surgical plan. They are the only ones who have been willing to help.

I’m supposed to be in Cleveland 1/6 & 1/7 to complete all this testing. I don’t like coming to ask for help, but this is my chance to have this surgery done. I’m asking for some help to get this testing done. The total for all the testing over both days comes out to just shy of $3,000, and the $1,745 is half of it. Any little bit would be so very appreciated.