Thank you in advance for reading this GoFundMe request and for getting to know someone who is very important to me and my family. As you read through the information below you will get to know Marco, his fun-loving caring personality, how he became a part of our family, and his unfortunate struggle with relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis. You will also learn of a treatment option and why Marco desperately needs our help (goal $24,000).

I met Marco more than 10 years ago when my sister, Kendall, started working with, and fell in love with him. They became inseparable the way new love often does. Kendall said she was dating someone so different than anyone she’s ever dated before. She felt supported, listened to, and cared for, and for the first time she wasn’t settling. Their relationship progressed, Marco popped the big question (She said YES!) and they moved in together.

In 2014 Marco went to a doctor after experiencing numbness in his legs and was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis.

At that point Marco was positive their relationship was doomed! Thankfully, he was wrong! Kendall recognized and confirmed to Marco that they were in this together.

Marco and our Dad share a love of motorcycles, and with Marco around Dad had someone to talk ‘mechanic-y’ with. Marco and I became friends as well as in laws. I have Marco’s number saved as Brother-In-Law Extrordinaire! I am writing this to show you how important he is in our family, as well as his own.

Over the past 9 years, all MS treatments have failed him and his MS is becoming more aggressive on MRI's and in symptoms. He is currently having nerve pain/numbness on one half of his face/head. His best odds of slowing the progression is a stem cell transplant called HSCT (Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation). There are only 2 hospitals that can offer this high risk treatment - Calgary and Ottawa. He will need to relocate during this time. It will be lengthy, high risk and an exhausting chain of events.

For those that are unfamiliar with how this process works, Marco will start with a large dose of chemotherapy followed by 10 days of injections to stimulate stem cell growth. He will then have his stem cells retrieved and sent to a lab to be processed/cleaned up. This is followed with a 2 week break to recover.

Then comes back to back/overlapping of 3 different chemotherapy drugs for 11 days. 2 days later they will transplant the stem cells back in.

He will lose his hair, have nausea/vomiting, fatigue and weakness.

If everything goes to plan and Marco makes it through the 3 to 4 high risk weeks following his transplant without visiting ICU, he will have an additional 4 weeks or so of recovery. He will be discharged when his appetite returns, his energy increases and his strength improves.

From this point he will go home to recover.

During this time he will not be working. He will be on short term disability. He is required to have a caregiver with him 24/7 while in Ottawa. This will be his wife, Kendall. She will not be working during this time either.

Marco could be off work for up to 12 months total while he recovers and his immune system builds back up.

Marco and Kendall have cut off different services, downgraded services and removed luxuries but between lost wages and relocation expenses, they will be losing more than $24,000 over the course of this treatment/recovery.

While MS does not have a cure, this is the closest you can get. His odds are best sooner rather than later as further disability could cause more complications during the procedure.

Marco is the type of person to give you the shirt off his back. He loves his friends and family and is a positive light with an amazing attitude. He would do anything to help those he loves. Now is our time to help him. Every little bit helps, and your contribution will help ease the financial burden to allow Marco and Kendall to focus on his health.

Marco has already had to give up riding a motorcycle due to his illness. We hope that this treatment will provide better quality of life so that Marco can continue some of his other passions; minions, music and dancing!

Thank you in advance for your kindness and generosity. You will be making a huge difference in a dark time.