Help Joe’s fight against this rare disease

Hi my name is Vickie Hoffman. Last Saturday on June 4th I received a phone call that my brother Joe Baber was running errands with his wife Nicole, when suddenly he had lost feeling on his whole left side and had suffered a major stroke.

 He was rushed to Mercy ER by ambulance and was immediately transferred to the University of Iowa Hospitals after doctors saw how severe the CT Scan & MRI showed complete blockage on both sides. They did administer TPA "clot buster" right away. After a few days of running multiple tests he was diagnosed with a rare disease called Moyamoya.

Moyamoya is a progessive narrowing of the main blood vessels that feed the brain. It puts him at very high risk for another stroke, along with other brain conditions. His condition is already in the later stage as both main vessels on each side are almost collapsed. Due to this he can no longer work. The only effective treatment is surgery to bypass these blood vessels in the brain, which he is in the process of preparing for.

Joe has a long journey ahead of him. He will start Physical & Occupational therapy this week to work on regaining use of the left side. There are many doctor appointments and tests ahead to prepare for bypass brain surgery, which has many risks and a long recovery. He also requires 24/7 care due to the high risk of having another stroke or possibly a seizure.

Joe & Nicole have 7 children living at home between the ages of 14-18 yrs old. Needless to say, the medical bills along with all their other monthly expenses will add up very quickly. They have always made sure their large family needs were met but as of now his wife, Nicole, will be the sole income and care provider.