G-PACT is an organization supporting Gastroparesis patients and their family members. Through creating awareness and educating both the public and medical community we hope someday there will be a cure.

G-PACT was founded on Aug. 23, 2001 by a number of people who have been affected by Gastroparesis in some manner.  The officers know what it is like to deal with Gastroparesis, the needs that patients have, and problems they encounter.  That experience is what makes us so strong.

G-PACT is dedicated to providing assistance to patients and families affected by Gastroparesis in order to improve quality of life and decrease fears surrounding this condition. We aim to provide hope to those who have lost it, support to those who need it, and knowledge to those who do not understand this condition.

Imagine waking up every morning with the stomach flu, for over 1.5 million children and adults in the United States this is reality. Gastroparesis means "paralyzed stomach", it is a condition that impairs the ability of the stomach to empty foods and liquids. Once food is ingested, it often sits in the stomach for hours or even days because the stomach does not contract very well, if at all. Individuals suffer from early satiety, nausea and vomiting, bloating, and abdominal pain as well as other symptoms.  Gastroparesis can have severe side effects such as malnutrition, dehydration and weight loss. These symptoms and side effects can make it very difficult to function on a daily basis. Some individuals are able to eat small amounts of food, but others must rely on tube feedings and/or TPN (a form of IV nutrition) because they can not eat at all. Many of our social interactions revolve around food causing many awkward situations for people with this illness.

Although some physicians are aware of Gastroparesis in diabetics it is also associated with a number of other conditions. Even less is known about Idiopathic Gastroparesis in which the cause is unknown. For this reason many people are often misdiagnosed or told they have a psychological problem. Effective treatment of Gastroparesis is very limited and often unsuccesful. For these reasons we strive to help the medical community better understand Gastroparesis. 

PAL Program (Patient Liason Awareness)- a program that allows gastroparesis sufferers to contact volunteers who can answer questions and offer support. Although they can not offer medical advise they can answer questions about tests, procedures and treatment options. Additionally volunteers can offer information on handling insurance and Social Security denials.

Supply Depot- Medical supplies can be very expensive so we offer this program to try and help defer costs. Patients with unused supplies are matched with others who are in need. Items that may be donated include feeding bags and unopened cans of non-expired formula for enteral feeding, alchohol wipes, unopened gauze and medical tape, sterile needleless syringes, and unopened tubing for TPN.

In addition we offer programs aimed towards matching patients with others who are in similar situations and creating awareness within the medical community about gastroparesis and the need for more research. In the future we hope to be able to also offer financial assistance to patients and researchers.

President-Carissa Haston
Vice President-Susan Dubow

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