A prayer for Joanne (A CRPS Story)
Donation protected
My name is Brian Gleason and I am starting this campain to assist my Fiance Joanne Basso with any assistance towards her medical bills due to complications from a rare medical disease called RSD/CRPS.
Joanne's incredible journey:
In 1990 at age 13 Joanne twisted her ankle in gym class. After several weeks of the foot trying to heal she started to develop a burning sensation and massive swelling in her left lower extremity. Joanne spend years going to the doctors’ but they could not determine what was wrong . Joannes parents Karen and Roy began researching Medical Facilities all over the country to try and find out what was wrong with Joanne. They took her to see every specialist they could find all over the country to include Texas Tech Medical Center, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic and multiple hospitals around the NY/NJ/PA Metropolitan area. Her parents tried everything. After years of doctor visits Joanne was diagnosed with a very rare disease called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy now referred to as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, a disease that only affects fewer than 200,000 people in the US yearly.
Through the years things got progressively worse for Joanne. She tried spinal stimulator implants, endless nerve sympathetic blocks, lidicane infusions, low dose ketamine infusions and many many more invasive procedures. The only thing that seemed to help was a strong regimine of pain meds and this was only keeping the pain at bay. Day by day Joanne lived with this pain, people not knowing truly how she felt. Nothing seemed to work and her leg/foot became dangerously infected. Unfortunately in 1999 doctors made the decision to amputate her left leg all becasue of the complications from this horrible disease that no one knew about or understood.
Therapy, doctor visits, learning to walk took up a better part of the next 12-18 months for Joanne. Learning to walk again at a young age of 22 was not what she had planned on doing. Over the next 4 years Joanne was determined as ever and even earned her A.S degree in Biology.
Another setback for Joanne:
In early 2004 Joanne was struck by a car while walking her dog Nikki. This was a major setback for Joanne in her long road to recovery. Joanne suffered several injuries to the right side of her body and worst of all it activated the RSD in the right side of her body. The RSD began taking control over Joannes right hand and foot.
To keep the RSD from flaring up Joanne maintained a strong treatment schedule. She was getting weekly sympathetic nerve blocks, visiting doctors and traveling to Medical Centers all over the US. Nothing seemed to work. There was nothing she could do but manage the pain.
A story about us!!
In 2006 is when I met this beautiful young woman, Joanne. I lived in Florida and she was living in New York. We started casually seeing one another and over the course of the years we developed a relationship, a long distance relationship. (Thank god for JetBlue. They are amazing)It wasnt easy and we had our rough patches but we managed.. I wasnt able to move back to NY because I had a son that I shared custody with. Joanne was an angel helping me raise my son. Kyle was 2 when we met, she is like a second mother to him. Even during her rough times with this horrific disease her care for him never waivered. She truly was my angel from above.
Due to the severity of Joannes case we have been maintaining our long distance relationship. Over the course of the next 12 years we have spent thousands of dollars on flights just to be together and maintain what was important to us. Through ups and downs we always managed to make it work.
On December 22nd of 2014 I proposed to Joanne on horse and carriage ride while touring Central Park, The night was perfect for us as we enjoyed the romantic sights of central park while it snowed during the holiday season. We were both very happy but Joanne health was still a concern. We decided to put off a wedding until things improved with her medical condition. Money was always tight but we always managed.
Where we are today - The uphill battle begins:
In April 2016 Joanne developed an open wound on her right lower leg. Over the next several months things got progressively worse for her. Her right leg began to swell and the treatments were not working. Her doctors were very concerned and were trying everything to help heal the infected leg. She received numerous sympathetic nerve blocks, low dose ketamine infusions and even wanted to try hyperbaric treatments but it was not covered by insurance. Joanne was slated to have a spinal stimulator implanted in her lower back but because of the open wound doctors feared this would complicate things. Joanne spend countless hours in wound care trying to treat her leg and this yielded no results. The leg was getting worse and worse. Nothing seemed to work.
Over the Christmas Holiday season Joanne met with several doctors, all echoing the same thing. Recently, Joanne was admitted to the hospital and had her second leg amputated.
At a young 39 years of age Joanne faces a long uphill battle on the road to recovery. Joanne is such a private person but is loved by so many. She is not one to ask for assistance from anyone but is always the first person to help others in their time of need. With medical bills mounting I am asking for a little bit of help. Please help Joanne with anything you can offer. We would be greatly appreciated. She is an angel and deserves a better quality of life moving forward. Hopefully this will allow her and her family to have that piece of mind.
My message to Joanne:
I love you Jojo, you are my rock and you are my everything. You have more courage and strength in your body than anyone I know. We will get through this. Thank you so much for what you have done for Kyle and I. We Love you, Get better soon!!!
Joannes loving and caring family:
Joannes Mom works for Nassau County PD as school crossing guard and her Dad is retired from LIRR. Her brother Tommy is a Captain with Merrick Hook and Ladder Company #1
Joanne's incredible journey:
In 1990 at age 13 Joanne twisted her ankle in gym class. After several weeks of the foot trying to heal she started to develop a burning sensation and massive swelling in her left lower extremity. Joanne spend years going to the doctors’ but they could not determine what was wrong . Joannes parents Karen and Roy began researching Medical Facilities all over the country to try and find out what was wrong with Joanne. They took her to see every specialist they could find all over the country to include Texas Tech Medical Center, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic and multiple hospitals around the NY/NJ/PA Metropolitan area. Her parents tried everything. After years of doctor visits Joanne was diagnosed with a very rare disease called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy now referred to as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, a disease that only affects fewer than 200,000 people in the US yearly.
Through the years things got progressively worse for Joanne. She tried spinal stimulator implants, endless nerve sympathetic blocks, lidicane infusions, low dose ketamine infusions and many many more invasive procedures. The only thing that seemed to help was a strong regimine of pain meds and this was only keeping the pain at bay. Day by day Joanne lived with this pain, people not knowing truly how she felt. Nothing seemed to work and her leg/foot became dangerously infected. Unfortunately in 1999 doctors made the decision to amputate her left leg all becasue of the complications from this horrible disease that no one knew about or understood.
Therapy, doctor visits, learning to walk took up a better part of the next 12-18 months for Joanne. Learning to walk again at a young age of 22 was not what she had planned on doing. Over the next 4 years Joanne was determined as ever and even earned her A.S degree in Biology.
Another setback for Joanne:
In early 2004 Joanne was struck by a car while walking her dog Nikki. This was a major setback for Joanne in her long road to recovery. Joanne suffered several injuries to the right side of her body and worst of all it activated the RSD in the right side of her body. The RSD began taking control over Joannes right hand and foot.
To keep the RSD from flaring up Joanne maintained a strong treatment schedule. She was getting weekly sympathetic nerve blocks, visiting doctors and traveling to Medical Centers all over the US. Nothing seemed to work. There was nothing she could do but manage the pain.
A story about us!!
In 2006 is when I met this beautiful young woman, Joanne. I lived in Florida and she was living in New York. We started casually seeing one another and over the course of the years we developed a relationship, a long distance relationship. (Thank god for JetBlue. They are amazing)It wasnt easy and we had our rough patches but we managed.. I wasnt able to move back to NY because I had a son that I shared custody with. Joanne was an angel helping me raise my son. Kyle was 2 when we met, she is like a second mother to him. Even during her rough times with this horrific disease her care for him never waivered. She truly was my angel from above.
Due to the severity of Joannes case we have been maintaining our long distance relationship. Over the course of the next 12 years we have spent thousands of dollars on flights just to be together and maintain what was important to us. Through ups and downs we always managed to make it work.
On December 22nd of 2014 I proposed to Joanne on horse and carriage ride while touring Central Park, The night was perfect for us as we enjoyed the romantic sights of central park while it snowed during the holiday season. We were both very happy but Joanne health was still a concern. We decided to put off a wedding until things improved with her medical condition. Money was always tight but we always managed.
Where we are today - The uphill battle begins:
In April 2016 Joanne developed an open wound on her right lower leg. Over the next several months things got progressively worse for her. Her right leg began to swell and the treatments were not working. Her doctors were very concerned and were trying everything to help heal the infected leg. She received numerous sympathetic nerve blocks, low dose ketamine infusions and even wanted to try hyperbaric treatments but it was not covered by insurance. Joanne was slated to have a spinal stimulator implanted in her lower back but because of the open wound doctors feared this would complicate things. Joanne spend countless hours in wound care trying to treat her leg and this yielded no results. The leg was getting worse and worse. Nothing seemed to work.
Over the Christmas Holiday season Joanne met with several doctors, all echoing the same thing. Recently, Joanne was admitted to the hospital and had her second leg amputated.
At a young 39 years of age Joanne faces a long uphill battle on the road to recovery. Joanne is such a private person but is loved by so many. She is not one to ask for assistance from anyone but is always the first person to help others in their time of need. With medical bills mounting I am asking for a little bit of help. Please help Joanne with anything you can offer. We would be greatly appreciated. She is an angel and deserves a better quality of life moving forward. Hopefully this will allow her and her family to have that piece of mind.
My message to Joanne:
I love you Jojo, you are my rock and you are my everything. You have more courage and strength in your body than anyone I know. We will get through this. Thank you so much for what you have done for Kyle and I. We Love you, Get better soon!!!
Joannes loving and caring family:
Joannes Mom works for Nassau County PD as school crossing guard and her Dad is retired from LIRR. Her brother Tommy is a Captain with Merrick Hook and Ladder Company #1
Organizer and beneficiary
Brian Gleason
Organizer
Merrick, NY
Joanne Basso
Beneficiary
