A Big Heart Needs a Little Help
For most of us, we fall ill from time to time. Be it the flu or the common cold, we get sick, we get better. But sometimes there are the rare occassions that something gets "out of whack" and can develop into a more serious matter. This is the case for a dear friend of mine, John Callaghan.
Early this February, John was experiencing what we all have to endure with the cold seasons, battling a relentless flu. Taking longer than normal to get over, he called in some sick days at work and tried to get better as soon as he could. However, one of these nights, he experienced tingling sensations in his feet and hands, also having issues swallowing his food. These uncommon symptoms struck John and his husband Dennis as alarming, and decided to make a trip to the hospital, where he has been for the past week. During this time period, at a point, John had stopped breathing on his own and was placed under sedation for a feeding tube and respirator. Doctors later diagnosed John with a rare affliction called Guillain-Barre Syndrome , which the body's immune system begins to attack the nerves, typically starting with extremities and advances to the throat and diaphragm controlling breathing and swallowing food or liquid.
Currently, John has had immense support, and is undergoing treatment that is taking to him very well! The doctors have removed his breathing tube and is currently on a BiPAP machine to start therapy with his breathing. Little by little, the BiPAP will be lessened in pressure to help strengthen his diaphragm again, then the next step will be the feeding tube. As soon as John is able to eat on his own again, he will be able to return home and begin physical therapy and speech therapy. This is going to be a difficult and long journey for a completely recovery for John, and we need your help!
Plans are being made to create a ramp for easy access in and out of the home, physical therapy appointments along with nurses checking in on John's progress will be continuous (estimated) throughout the year. Unfortunately, with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, there is no set stage of time for a full recovery; It very much depends on the individual person. With your help, be it a $1 or $100, or even just spreading the word about our campaign for John, it will help the process of recovery a bit faster and a bit easier. A peace of mind goes a long, long way when it comes to fighting to regain complete health. As we all know, medical bills can be daunting and worrying about every day expenses can cause excessive amounts of stress that makes the healing process. John is a very tough and determined person, who wants nothing more than to get out of this situation and back on his feet to continue to help others in need. Please, if you can, help make this happen <3
