Isabella fight against UnitedHealthCare

Email us at griggsfive@charter.net with comments or suggestions. Please, please help us if you can!
Video Text:
I'd like to introduce you to an amazing little girl

This is Isabella

She recently celebrated her 4th birthday

Her beautiful life has been filled with complex medical issues and complications

Her medical diagnosis include: *esophageal atresia * PDA, ASD, VSD, and heart defects * epilepsy * mild hearing loss bilaterally * Celiac disease * severe oral aversion with g-tube dependence

She has endured 6 major surgeries, including open heart surgery, as well as 9 minor procedures

She has spent over 150 days in the hospital during her lifetime

She has over 20 scars on her tiny body to attest to her struggle,

Despite it all, Isabella is a dazzling, energetic, and feisty little girl

She has endured more pain, suffering, and surgery than most adults do in a lifetime

Because of her extensive health history, Isabella never learned how to eat, and has received all nutrition through her g-tube for most of her life.

Now that most of her restrictive health issues are behind her, Isabella wants to learn to eat like a normal child, but she doesn't know what to do, as she has never been taught how.

Her oral motor skills are uncoordinated, and when she tries to eat, she will often gag, choke, or vomit. This is very scary for her.

Isabella's medical team attempted an intensive inpatient feeding program at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.

During this 2 week program, doctors and psychologists attempted to help Isabella overcome her fears of food and increase her eating.

Isabella failed the program . . . . . twice.

CHW doctors recommended a world renowned 6-8 week intensive program at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, MD

In October of last year, KKI doctors evaluated Isabella and felt she was a good candidate for their program

For the first time in her life, we felt Isabella might have a chance at eating like a normal child.

We had hope.

But now, because of our insurance company, United HealthCare, that hope is dwingling fast.

UnitedHealthCare refuses to approve or pay for admission for Isabella to Kennedy Krieger Institute

We filed an appeal, and it was denied

Over the past year, Isabella has grown to despise her g-tube feeds.

For unknown reasons, tube feedings cause her pain and discomfort, and Isabella will scream, cry, and hit herself in the face and stomach

Then she will vomit, causing expelling the very food she needs to stay alive

Tube feeding using a slow drip pump also causes pain and vomiting, and poses a risk of aspiration if done while sleeping

Isabella would much rather eat like other children her age, but UnitedHealthCare won't give her that chance

She will not voluntarily take bites of food -- she does not know how and it scares her

We have tried to force her to eat - But Isabella's aversion to food is so severe; she will do anything to avoid eating

She will cover her face, clench her teeth, turn her head away, gag, and vomit

It's not pretty, is it? We do this 4 times a day, every day.

And after all this struggle, we still need to give her tube feeds -- causing more pain and United HealthCare thinks this is perfectly acceptable

Kennedy Krieger Institute has helped many children similar to Isabella overcome their fears, aversions, and inabilities to consume food orally and eliminate the need for tube feeding

Please, someone, HELP us!

Our United Healthcare policy specifically approves inpatient hospitalization -- this is what we are trying to get approved
They have denied her treatment, claiming it is nutrition based (an exclusion in our policy)- this program is NOT nutrition based!

This program addresses the medical and behavioral issues associated with oral consumption of food.

We have paid our premiums for coverage which includes inpatient hospitalization

We have multiple doctors who will attest to Isabella's need for this program

And we have a world renowned hospital providing proof of the effectiveness of this type of treatment on Children like Isabella

And yet we still cannot get United Healthcare to approve this program for Isabella

We cannot afford to pay for it out of pocket and if she does not receive this treatment, she will likely be tube fed -- her entire life.

United Healthcare, PLEASE, give Isabella a chance to learn to eat and spare her further pain and suffering

Please pass this on to your family and friends. We hope that by spreading awareness we can somehow get Isabella the treatment she needs. We don't know where to turn next, so we are hoping a viewer can offer us useful advice or information.

Thank you for taking the time to watch this video. Ben and Stephanie (Isabella's Dad and Mom) griggsfive@charter.net

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• United
• HealthCare
• Isabella
• Kennedy
• Krieger
• Institute
• Health
• Insurance
• Child
• Eating
• Disorder
• g-tube
• Feeding
• Program

[md3672]

Contact the Ellen Degeneres show, she helps a lot of people all the time.

[StefaniLynG]

Thank you for your suggestion. I just sent her an email.

[FlyAwayFlea]

i second contacting michael moore!

[StefaniLynG]

Thanks - sent him an email the other day but haven't heard back from him yet! Fingers crossed!

[Sweethannahw]

i hope u can get the help u need i will post this on my myspace page if u dont mind

[StefaniLynG]

Thank you. Please do post it on your myspace, I would really appreciate it.

[gymnast31197]

she is a brave little girl!!! is there is anything i could do to help.......... very touching!

[HSM2107]

i know what its like. I have had open heart surgery to. I was almost diagnosed with cancer. Diabtetes runs in my family. This isnt as bad as Isabellas but my mom is a nurse and she deals with children like this everyday. Isabella will get through this, and until she does I will pray for her everyday!

[Sweethannahw]

@StefaniLynG have you heard anything back from ellen?

'

[Taylor0person0moo1]

WHAT HAPPEND TO HER 

[xXxHeavensWisperxXx]

I posted this on facebook and emailed it to everyone I know...My mom is a lawyer and she might be able to help...she could know some information we don't...I pray for her every single day and I know she will get through this...Sunday I am showing this video at my church in hopes we can get some help for her...I will do all I can.

[TheGhostOfSabotage]

Wish I can help more than posting this video on my channels on facebook, myspace and twitter and what not! :(

Your Sincere TheGhostOfSabotage

[2015SMILEY]

i no that little girl shes 5 now and for the make a wish foundation she is comin to my school to see a beauty and the beast musical cause she loves princesses and shes going to disney land

[lashesone]

american health care is a discrace. uhc are heartless bastards, money hungry fucks. people need to realize that our health care needs change. We need free health care for all, yeah maybe taxes will be higher but it will be worth it in the long run. i know hundreds of people who where sick ang got bills they couldnt pay for. i have a shitty inssurance company with the military and i still cant afford the rest of the payments. we the people need to stand up to the inssurance companys and be heard.

[w8n4sn]

Congratulations that she has learned to eat at the institute and had her G-tube closed up.

[maroocatherine]

Fabulous! Great video! I am so glad that you posted it and you guys will continue to fight UHC. They are such a pain to deal with!!!

[HSM2107]

this just reminded me of my baby cuzin. :( her name is bella. not isabella just bella. But its weird she recently celebrated ehr 5th birthday and she also has red curly hair. but im sad now cuz she was born without an esofogus or sumthing. she had a lot of major surgeries, and she has nightmares about the hospital and cries. its so sad she also had a tube in her tummy and was fed thro that. im not trying to make fun of isabella. my story is true! im praying 4 bella plz pray for my cuzin bella :(