My name is Jaclyn Baker and I've created this GoFund Me to help 2 of the most wonderful people I know - my friends Mark & Marci Ludwig. Last November Mark & Marci lost their beloved dog Gracie - she was their loving companion and friend for 13 amazing years. After they took time to mourn her loss, their hearts healed enough to make room for a new Newfy! Forever fans of the Newfoundland dog breed - an 8 week old puppy came into their lives. They named him Nimbus (like the cloud) and it was love at first sight. But after 24 short hours with their new baby, Mark & Marci both knew something was not right. Nimbus began to violently regurgitate food through his nose and was vomitting blood! Thinking quickly, they activated the pet insurance from his breeder and rushed him to Penn Vet ER here in Philadelphia. As soon as they examined him, they knew he was in trouble and told Mark & Marci his prognosis was grim. After 7 days in the ICU and almost 100 tests the team at Penn Vet discovered Nimbus has an extremely rare condition known as Congenital Hypo-thyroidism (pituitary based). The good news: this was not a death sentence and today, Nimbus is happy and healthy. He's a wonderful puppy who loves to play and he has brought so much joy to their lives. Mark & Marci said yes to every test that had to be done and a full week of hospitalization. 24 hours was enough for them to fall in love with Nimbus and they refused to give up on him. But when Mark filed a claim for reimbursement, the insurance company declined it because of the wording used in the care plan summary. When asked if Nimbus had shown any symptoms prior to coming in, they said he, "seemed sluggish and wouldn’t eat the day before the regurgitation started". The insurance company used that wording to decline coverage, "due to a pre-existing condition" - even though Nimbus had been with them less than 24 hours! Mark called the insurance company and asked if there was anything else he could do. After a lengthy appeal process, they declined coverage again! To make matters worse, Nimbus is now classified as having a pre-existing condition and no other pet insurance will take him on. He’s going to need to be on medication and eat specialized foods for the rest of his life and Mark & Marci will of course make sure he has the care he needs to thrive but needless to say this has taken an extreme financial toll on their family. The total cost of his hospitalization was over $20,000. Mark is a gifted musician and music teacher - he works so hard. Marci is an absolutely incredible human being, working full-time to put herself through Nursing School. While we all know as pet owners that unforeseen costs are part of the deal - $20,000 in one week could never have been anticipated. ANY help you can give is appreciated - even if that means you simply share this LFEBridge. Please help us help Mark, Marci and Nimbus.
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