GABBY,
GABBY, THE GIRL WHO FEELS NO PAIN 14 YEARS AGO.
SHE HAS COME A LONG WAY SINCE
THEN, AND NEXT WEEK THAT LITTLE
GIRL WILL GRADUATE FROM HIGH
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL. GABBY STILL CAN'T FEEL PAIN, BUT
SHE'S HURT FOR A DIFFERENT
REASON.
REASON.
REASON. AFTER LEARNING HER MOST RECENT
CHANCE AT A MORE NORMAL LIFE IS
BEING DENIED.
BEING DENIED. HERE'S KARE 11'S BOYD HUPPERT.
>> THIS ONE MAKES THE ONE I
SUBMITTED TO THE YEAR BOOK, SO I
THINK THIS ONE IS MY FAVORITE.
>> Reporter: HOW FAR GABBY
GINGRES HAS COME FROM THE LITTLE
GIRL TO WHOM WE FIRST INTRODUCED
YOU 14 YEARS AGO.
THE GIRL WHO FEELS NO PAIN.
>> AH, HONEY, YOU CAN'T DO THAT,
YOU'LL HURT YOUR HEAD.
YOU'LL HURT YOUR HEAD.
>> Reporter: A CONDITION SO RARE
IT AF LICKTS ONLY A FEW DOZEN
PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WITH
DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES --
AFFLICTS.
AFFLICTS.
AFFLICTS. AS A TODDLER FEELING NO PAIN,
GABBY SCRATCHED HER EYE SO BADLY
DOCTORS FOR A TIME SEWED THEM
SHUT.
SHUT.
SHUT. AS
SHUT. AS HER TEETH CAME IN, GABBY
CHEWED HER MOUTH AS IF IT WERE
GUM.
GUM.
GUM. >>
GUM. >> SHE ENDED UP IN THE HOSPITAL
FOR TEN DAYS BECAUSE HER TONGUE
WAS SO SWOLED UP THAT SHE
COULDN'T DRINK.
COULDN'T DRINK. >> Reporter: GABBY EMERGED
LEGALLY BLIND.
LEGALLY BLIND. >> THERE'S FOUR MORE IN HERE.
>> Reporter: WITH NO TEETH.
TO STOP THE MUTILATION OF HER
MOUTH.
MOUTH.
MOUTH. >>
MOUTH. >> BY THE TIME HER ADULT TEETH
CAME IN, WE THOUGHT SHE'D BE OLD
ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND.
WELL, SHE ENDED UP HAVING A
BROKEN JAW, AND THE ADULT TEETH
DIDN'T COME IN PROPERLY, AND
THEY BROKE OUT ONE AT A TIME.
>> Reporter: NOW A GRADUATING
SENIOR ON HER WAY TO COLLEGE AT
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA MORRIS.
>> IT'S PRETTY DISHEARTENING.
>> Reporter: GABBY JUST WANTS
TEETH.
TEETH.
TEETH. >>
TEETH. >> I CAN'T EAT BASICALLY ANY
MEAT, ANYTHING CRISPY, LIKE RAW
VEGETABLES, BASICALLY ANYTHING
HARD.
HARD.
HARD. AT
HARD. AT THIS POINT I'M MOSTLY CHEWING
WITH MY GUMS LIKE I CAN ONLY EAT
LIKE THE FOOD THAT LIKE A
90-YEAR-OLD WORD.
90-YEAR-OLD WORD. >> Reporter: DOCTORS AT THE MAYO
CLINIC HAVE A PLAN TO REBUILD
HER UNDERRATED JAW WITH BONES
FROM HER HIP.
BUT DESPITE PLEAS FROM MAYO
DOCTORS, GABBY'S INSURANCE
PROVIDER, ETNA, IS REFUSING TO
PAY IN.
PAY IN.
PAY IN. A
PAY IN. A LETTER, ETNA SAID THE
MAYO'S PROCEDURES ARE NOT
COVERED SERVICES, ADDING THAT
ETNA WILL ONLY COVER SERVICES
AND SUPPLIES THAT ARE MEDICALLY
NECESSARY.
NECESSARY. >> THERE ARE NO OTHER OPTIONS
FOR HER.
FOR HER.
FOR HER. THERE ARE NO OPTIONS FOR
DENTURES BECAUSE THERE'S NO SOFT
TISSUE, THERE'S NO STRUCTURE
LEFT FOR HER.
THIS IS THE ONLY OPTION FOR HER.
>> I HATE THIS RIGHT NOW JUST
BECAUSE HAVING NO TEETH CHANGES
THE WAY YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT.
IT JUST CHANGES WHAT PEOPLE
THINK OF WHAT I SAY, AND I HATE
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. >>
THAT. >> IT'S NOT BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T
BRUSH HER TEETH THAT HER MOUTH
DOESN'T WORK RIGHT.
IT'S NOT BECAUSE ANYTHING THAT
SHE DID.
SHE DID.
SHE DID. SMOKE CRACK OR ANYTHING LIKE
THAT, THEY END UP WITH A MOUTH
THAT SHE HAS.
IT'S A CONDITION THAT SHE HAS
THAT IS UNAVOIDABLE.
AND WE'RE ASKING FOR THEM TO
STEP UP AND DO WHAT THEY'RE
SUPPOSED TO DO.
>> Reporter: THE MAYO CLINIC
SHOWED SOME HEART, MOLDING GABBY
TEMPORARY PLASTIC TEETH SO SHE
COULD SMILE FOR HER SENIOR PORT
RATS.
RATS.
RATS. >>
RATS. >> EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE NOT REAL
BUT IT'S STILL NICE TO SEE, YOU
KNOW, WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO LOOK
LIKE AND HOW I KIND OF ALWAYS
PICTURED MYSELF.
PICTURED MYSELF. >> Reporter: GABBY'S DREAMS ARE
SIMPLER THAN MOST, AS BASIC AS
LOOKING, SPEAKING AND EATING
LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.
>> HER ONE BIG WISH IS BITE AN
APPLE.
APPLE.
APPLE. >>
APPLE. >> Reporter: MEDICALLY
NECESSARY.
NECESSARY. >> I'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO DO
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. >>
THAT. >> Reporter: IS STILL OPEN, IT
APPEARS TO DEBATE.
BUT GABBY JUST WANTS WHAT'S
NECESSARY TO BE A NORMAL
FUNCTIONING HUMAN BEING.
>> AND BE WHAT I NEED TO GO
FORWARD.
FORWARD.
FORWARD. >> Reporter: TRISH AND STEVE
GRINGRASS TOLD HER PROCEDURE
WOULD COST BETWEEN 160 AND
$120,000.
$120,000.
$120,000. THIS AFTERNOON ETNA SENT US THIS
STATEMENT.
STATEMENT. SE IS A MEMBER OF AN ETNA
MEDICAL PLAN.
MEDICAL PLAN. SHE DOES NOT HAVE A DENTAL PLAN.
INCLUDE REPLACEMENT OF TEETH AND
SPECIFICALLY DENTAL IMPLANTS ARE
INCLUDEDED FROM THIS MEMBER'S
MEDICAL PLAN.
MEDICAL PLAN. GABBY'S FATHER WONDERS IF THE
RESPONSE WOULD BE THE SAME IF
HIS DAUGHTER'S MOUTH CONDITION
HAD BEEN CAUSED BY CANCER OR A
CAR ACCIDENT.
CAR ACCIDENT. ETNA TOLD THE BEGINGRESSES IN A
LETTER THIS WEEK THE COMPANY'S
LATEST REVIEW AND DECISION IS
FINAL.
FINAL.
FINAL. >>
FINAL. >> WE SURE HOPE THAT'S NOT TRUE.
WE HOPE SOMEHOW THIS CAN BE
RECONSIDERED OR MAYBE IF THEY
SIGN UP FOR DENTAL COVERAGE,
SOMETHING, THIS JUST DOESN'T
SEEM TO BE A FAIR ENDING TO THIS
STORY.
STORY.
STORY. >>
STORY. >> I DON'T THINK ANYONE WANTS
THIS 17-YEAR-OLD TO HAVE TO
PROCEED ONTO COLLEGE AND ONTO
LIFE IN THIS CONDITION.
>> WELL, AND WE SHOULD ADDRESS
SOMETHING THAT SOME PEOPLE WERE
SEEING THAT THEY WERE DOING THIS
STORY AND THEY WERE QUESTIONING
THE DECISIONS MADE WHEN GABBY
WAS A YOUNG GIRL AND LOST HER
EYESIGHT.
EYESIGHT.
EYESIGHT. CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT HOW ALONE
THESE PARENTS WERE?
>> WHEN THIS STARTED IN THE
EARLY 2000S, THERE WERE NO
SUPPORT GROUPS.
SUPPORT GROUPS. THE DOCTORS DIDN'T EVEN KNOW
WHAT THIS WAS.
AND IT WAS IN PART BECAUSE OF
GABBY AND THE WORLDWIDE
ATTENTION THAT SHE RECEIVED THAT
SOME FAMILIES DID COME TOGETHER,
THOSE FEW FAMILIES THAT HAVE TO
DEAL WITH THIS, AND THERE ARE
SUPPORT GROUPS NOW.
AND THEY CAN AT LEAST TALK AND
THEY CAN WARN OTHER PARENTS WHO
CONFRONT THIS TO PROTECT THE
EYES AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT
THIS FAMILY LEARNED ALONG THE
WAY THAT THEY CAN NOW PASS
ALONG.
ALONG.
ALONG. >>
ALONG. >> WELL,