Brian Kelley MS recovery & relief
Donation protected
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body.
Brian and Jodie met through Seattle Vespa club in 2009, and became best friends while volunteering their time and talent with the Westenders Scooter Club, their annual rally and year-round events.
Despite Brian's MS, he remained committed and often pushed through extreme fatigue and to put together amazing bands and spend weeks planning a spread that would put any Sizzler to shame, being the club's designated Chef de cuisine and resident music promoter.
Brian and Jodie began dating in 2010, making home in Burien, WA with their two dogs, Willa and Rosie.
Unfortunately 2013 would be the last year that Brian was able to continue his club duties at the level he provided previously with food and music for these events, but continues to support local scooter clubs and the Lambretta Club of America.
Brian also leads a team for the annual MS Walk in Seattle, WA in April each year. Walk MS connects people living with MS and those who care about them. Participants in this community event help raise funds to not only walk for those who can longer, but the proceeds give hope to everyone impacted by MS, including family and care partners.
2014 was the last year that Brian would be leading Team One Step Beyond, but plans to remain active in supporting efforts for Greater Northwest MS Chapter.
2014 started off as the best year of their life together after their recent engagement on Dec 15, 2013. Brian proposed to Jodie in Seattle at the Great Wheel on their annual trip to Westlake, Pike Place Market and the Seattle Waterfront. They made plans to marry in the Spring of 2015.
Various setbacks throughout the year forced them to push the date out to August 8, 2015.
The myriad of setbacks included a reduction in projects at the company where Brian works, leaving him wondering if the doors at Seattle Bronze would close for good after struggling through the economic slow-down over the last 4 years. Brian was also facing some concerns about his mother's health, as she had been fighting cancer for the last 4 years.
Good news came Jodie's way on August 6th when she was offered a transfer and promotion at her work, where she would start on September 8 as an inside sales supervisor, and help launch a major program with Kroger in her new role at Real Foods in Kent, WA.
They hatched secret plans to marry in Colorado in December so that Brian's, Colette, mom could witness her youngest child and only son be wed.
August 8, Brian suffered an MS attack. Between it being the hottest summer, along with several stressors causing his MS to exacerbate, he had a fall, lost his ability to speak clearly, swallow properly and walk on his own. Jodie learned what a new normal looked like during this MS attack, helping Brian by learning to do in-home IV steroid treatment by an in-home nurse.
Despite the treatment, Brian's condition worsened and his doctor admitted to Evergreen Hospital on Aug 28th for the next 2 1/2 weeks.
Against the backdrop of transitioning her duties at Charlie's Produce, and starting a new job at Real Foods that required her full attention, Jodie traveled between home, work, and north 25 miles to the hospital and back daily to get updates on Brian from the doctors, and be there by his side while he received further IV steroid treatments.
The treatments were not offering the relief Brian's MS health care team had hoped for, so they recommended a week long course of plasmapheresis. The process was similar to dialysis, through a port in his next, removing plasma from Brian's blood and replacing it with Albumin (donor plasma) in hopes that the proteins in the plasma wouldn't cause more inflammation in his brain and spine. He saw great improvements with this treatment, and with physical and speech therapy. He was discharged on September 13th.
Brian continued his at-home care steroid treatments, switching to a new MS drug, Gilenya, and continued his physical, speech and occupational therapy. While not 100%, Brian is still aclimating to his new normal, has returned to work, and hopes that this new drug will offer him some relief and healing, while remylination of his nerves decreases inflammation and symptoms, that some days leave him not able to leave the house.
Sad news arrived on October 2. Brian's mom succumbed to the cancer she fought for 4 years. The secret plans to wed in Colorado were dashed by the news.
Brian and Jodie traveled to Colorado to be with his dad and sisters as they planned his mom's service and final resting place.
Brian and Jodie flew from Seattle back out the Colorado the week of 11/23-11/29 to lay his mom to rest and to be with family for what would be an beautiful and moving service and internment. Brian was so happy to be there to be with his dad and family, but the trip was bittersweet. To be with family whom he hadn't seen in some time, but to be there to say good-bye to his mom and close confidant.
With the pressure of bills coming in, and a house that has relentless issues, such as old failing plumbing, siding falling off, rat infestation, a failing furnace, they have made do. But much remains looming, which causes undue stress, especially now during the holidays.
Willa became ill and on December 10 and was brought into the vet on Thursday. She received great care, getting fluids and medication to stop her vomiting. She is now recovering at home but remains lethargic, but is better everyday. Her bloodwork is all clear, but it was determined that she was having an adverse reaction to the flea medication given to her. Because the rat infestation under the house brought in the fleas, and after the rats take their bait from the traps and die under the house, the fleas have migrated up into the house, so the medication was a necessary precaution to prevent flea bite dermatitis, which makes the dogs truly miserable. This trip to the vet unfortunately wiped out Jodie's savings. Willa is on the mend, and on the road to recovery.
Unfortunatly, setbacks such as mounting hospital bills, debt, and house repairs have pushed out any hope of planning for a wedding. With over 10K in hospital bills and expenses acrued during the Fall, they have their health and the support of loved ones and know they are the lucky ones and that there are always those in more unfortunate circumstances.
Not ones to ask for help, they are in a predicament where they are willing to give up the luxuries, and step outside their comfort zone to ask for help.
Your gift would go towards paying hospital expenses, and any extra would go to house repairs/furnace installation.
No gift is too small. Even sharing this campaign will be such a huge gift.
Brian and Jodie met through Seattle Vespa club in 2009, and became best friends while volunteering their time and talent with the Westenders Scooter Club, their annual rally and year-round events.
Despite Brian's MS, he remained committed and often pushed through extreme fatigue and to put together amazing bands and spend weeks planning a spread that would put any Sizzler to shame, being the club's designated Chef de cuisine and resident music promoter.
Brian and Jodie began dating in 2010, making home in Burien, WA with their two dogs, Willa and Rosie.
Unfortunately 2013 would be the last year that Brian was able to continue his club duties at the level he provided previously with food and music for these events, but continues to support local scooter clubs and the Lambretta Club of America.
Brian also leads a team for the annual MS Walk in Seattle, WA in April each year. Walk MS connects people living with MS and those who care about them. Participants in this community event help raise funds to not only walk for those who can longer, but the proceeds give hope to everyone impacted by MS, including family and care partners.
2014 was the last year that Brian would be leading Team One Step Beyond, but plans to remain active in supporting efforts for Greater Northwest MS Chapter.
2014 started off as the best year of their life together after their recent engagement on Dec 15, 2013. Brian proposed to Jodie in Seattle at the Great Wheel on their annual trip to Westlake, Pike Place Market and the Seattle Waterfront. They made plans to marry in the Spring of 2015.
Various setbacks throughout the year forced them to push the date out to August 8, 2015.
The myriad of setbacks included a reduction in projects at the company where Brian works, leaving him wondering if the doors at Seattle Bronze would close for good after struggling through the economic slow-down over the last 4 years. Brian was also facing some concerns about his mother's health, as she had been fighting cancer for the last 4 years.
Good news came Jodie's way on August 6th when she was offered a transfer and promotion at her work, where she would start on September 8 as an inside sales supervisor, and help launch a major program with Kroger in her new role at Real Foods in Kent, WA.
They hatched secret plans to marry in Colorado in December so that Brian's, Colette, mom could witness her youngest child and only son be wed.
August 8, Brian suffered an MS attack. Between it being the hottest summer, along with several stressors causing his MS to exacerbate, he had a fall, lost his ability to speak clearly, swallow properly and walk on his own. Jodie learned what a new normal looked like during this MS attack, helping Brian by learning to do in-home IV steroid treatment by an in-home nurse.
Despite the treatment, Brian's condition worsened and his doctor admitted to Evergreen Hospital on Aug 28th for the next 2 1/2 weeks.
Against the backdrop of transitioning her duties at Charlie's Produce, and starting a new job at Real Foods that required her full attention, Jodie traveled between home, work, and north 25 miles to the hospital and back daily to get updates on Brian from the doctors, and be there by his side while he received further IV steroid treatments.
The treatments were not offering the relief Brian's MS health care team had hoped for, so they recommended a week long course of plasmapheresis. The process was similar to dialysis, through a port in his next, removing plasma from Brian's blood and replacing it with Albumin (donor plasma) in hopes that the proteins in the plasma wouldn't cause more inflammation in his brain and spine. He saw great improvements with this treatment, and with physical and speech therapy. He was discharged on September 13th.
Brian continued his at-home care steroid treatments, switching to a new MS drug, Gilenya, and continued his physical, speech and occupational therapy. While not 100%, Brian is still aclimating to his new normal, has returned to work, and hopes that this new drug will offer him some relief and healing, while remylination of his nerves decreases inflammation and symptoms, that some days leave him not able to leave the house.
Sad news arrived on October 2. Brian's mom succumbed to the cancer she fought for 4 years. The secret plans to wed in Colorado were dashed by the news.
Brian and Jodie traveled to Colorado to be with his dad and sisters as they planned his mom's service and final resting place.
Brian and Jodie flew from Seattle back out the Colorado the week of 11/23-11/29 to lay his mom to rest and to be with family for what would be an beautiful and moving service and internment. Brian was so happy to be there to be with his dad and family, but the trip was bittersweet. To be with family whom he hadn't seen in some time, but to be there to say good-bye to his mom and close confidant.
With the pressure of bills coming in, and a house that has relentless issues, such as old failing plumbing, siding falling off, rat infestation, a failing furnace, they have made do. But much remains looming, which causes undue stress, especially now during the holidays.
Willa became ill and on December 10 and was brought into the vet on Thursday. She received great care, getting fluids and medication to stop her vomiting. She is now recovering at home but remains lethargic, but is better everyday. Her bloodwork is all clear, but it was determined that she was having an adverse reaction to the flea medication given to her. Because the rat infestation under the house brought in the fleas, and after the rats take their bait from the traps and die under the house, the fleas have migrated up into the house, so the medication was a necessary precaution to prevent flea bite dermatitis, which makes the dogs truly miserable. This trip to the vet unfortunately wiped out Jodie's savings. Willa is on the mend, and on the road to recovery.
Unfortunatly, setbacks such as mounting hospital bills, debt, and house repairs have pushed out any hope of planning for a wedding. With over 10K in hospital bills and expenses acrued during the Fall, they have their health and the support of loved ones and know they are the lucky ones and that there are always those in more unfortunate circumstances.
Not ones to ask for help, they are in a predicament where they are willing to give up the luxuries, and step outside their comfort zone to ask for help.
Your gift would go towards paying hospital expenses, and any extra would go to house repairs/furnace installation.
No gift is too small. Even sharing this campaign will be such a huge gift.
Organizer
Jodie Huttenstine Henry
Organizer
Seattle, WA
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