Help Trevor in the Fight of his Life
Donation protected
Hi All,
My name is Trevor and this is me, boldly fighting for my life against a disease that has completely ravished my body and mind. At the age of 21, I began to notice I couldn’t stand on the ball of my feet anymore. I was an avid skateboarder and free runner, and this was not normal for me. At first, it was just minor and I thought it would pass; but eventually, I couldn’t walk regularly and couldn’t run at all without stumbling. I soon realized this was a little more than weird. After a few months. I was able to get in to see a neurologist. He ordered tests….and then more tests, and more tests after that. After a year, I still had no answers, and my walking had started to tire me out. I had to walk with a cane because I couldn't feel my ankles, which had, by this time, led to drop-foot in both feet.
This went on for almost 4 years - more tests, more doctors, more waiting with no diagnosis. My feet worsened and my calves began to atrophy due to the lack of being able to use the muscles. My regular neurologist put me in braces to go along with the cane to help me.
Last year, my most recent doctor at UT, the highest-rated specialist in this field, ordered a nerve biopsy. After two months of waiting to get the results, I was diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy Disease (CIPD). The short story is -- I have an autoimmune disorder. My body is attacking my nerves and eating them away bit by bit. The specialists say it will spread and worsen over time, and there is little hope for a cure. It’s been 5 years since I noticed that weird feeling in my foot and ankles. At the age of 26, I cannot walk without assistance, the inflammation has caused chronic fatigue, and I lost my job. I am tired all the time and the condition will only continue to spread slowly up my body until I am wheelchair bound and potentially unable to feed myself. This has been a dark period for me and my family, but we’ve found hope.
My family and I kept researching and found a proven treatment that slows and even reverses the damage of CIDP. This treatment is called Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT). This is the same treatment Selma Blair had for Multiple Sclerosis (MS). HSCT is a bone marrow transplant that knocks out my current immune system and rebuilds immunity using my own previously harvested stem cells. This jump starts a new immune system. Please look that up when you have a moment. The recovery can be grueling but it’s a chance I’m willing to take to be able to get my life back and just be able to do normal activities.
The procedure will cost $54,000 in out of pocket expenses. We have managed to pay the initial amount in order to secure a date of treatment in March 2021; however, we would need to pay the full amount by March 2021. We, my family and I, are working towards that but anything you can contribute will help! Thank you for reading my story.
My name is Trevor and this is me, boldly fighting for my life against a disease that has completely ravished my body and mind. At the age of 21, I began to notice I couldn’t stand on the ball of my feet anymore. I was an avid skateboarder and free runner, and this was not normal for me. At first, it was just minor and I thought it would pass; but eventually, I couldn’t walk regularly and couldn’t run at all without stumbling. I soon realized this was a little more than weird. After a few months. I was able to get in to see a neurologist. He ordered tests….and then more tests, and more tests after that. After a year, I still had no answers, and my walking had started to tire me out. I had to walk with a cane because I couldn't feel my ankles, which had, by this time, led to drop-foot in both feet.
This went on for almost 4 years - more tests, more doctors, more waiting with no diagnosis. My feet worsened and my calves began to atrophy due to the lack of being able to use the muscles. My regular neurologist put me in braces to go along with the cane to help me.
Last year, my most recent doctor at UT, the highest-rated specialist in this field, ordered a nerve biopsy. After two months of waiting to get the results, I was diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy Disease (CIPD). The short story is -- I have an autoimmune disorder. My body is attacking my nerves and eating them away bit by bit. The specialists say it will spread and worsen over time, and there is little hope for a cure. It’s been 5 years since I noticed that weird feeling in my foot and ankles. At the age of 26, I cannot walk without assistance, the inflammation has caused chronic fatigue, and I lost my job. I am tired all the time and the condition will only continue to spread slowly up my body until I am wheelchair bound and potentially unable to feed myself. This has been a dark period for me and my family, but we’ve found hope.
My family and I kept researching and found a proven treatment that slows and even reverses the damage of CIDP. This treatment is called Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT). This is the same treatment Selma Blair had for Multiple Sclerosis (MS). HSCT is a bone marrow transplant that knocks out my current immune system and rebuilds immunity using my own previously harvested stem cells. This jump starts a new immune system. Please look that up when you have a moment. The recovery can be grueling but it’s a chance I’m willing to take to be able to get my life back and just be able to do normal activities.
The procedure will cost $54,000 in out of pocket expenses. We have managed to pay the initial amount in order to secure a date of treatment in March 2021; however, we would need to pay the full amount by March 2021. We, my family and I, are working towards that but anything you can contribute will help! Thank you for reading my story.
Co-organizers (4)
Ashleigh Williams
Organizer
Lone Oak, TX
Metonya Baker
Co-organizer
Dannyele Wilson
Co-organizer
Jhalyssa Williams
Co-organizer