In 1992, my dear friend, Mark, a proud military Veteran, was diagnosed with an extraordinarily rare and life-altering condition: Advanced Progressive Tourette’s with Dystonia. Only five people in the world have ever received this diagnosis.

While serving, he was initially diagnosed with Tourette’s. In an attempt to treat him, doctors gave him a dangerous combination of medications used for Tourette’s, Parkinson’s, and dystonia all at once. This made him toxic and allergic to every one of them, which led to the development of Dystonia, a debilitating disorder that disrupts the central nervous system and causes uncontrollable motor function resulting in frequent severe injuries and broken bones.

Since then, Mark's condition has worsened rapidly. He has undergone five experimental brain surgeries, the last of which nearly took his life. He was life-flighted with less than 24 hours to live. His deep brain stimulator was later removed due to a serious infection, which further reduced his ability to function. The trauma and stress of everything triggered three mini-strokes.

Mark now requires 24-hour care and lives with intense, unpredictable involuntary movements. Most recently, he developed osteomyelitis, a dangerous infection in his tibia bone caused by hardware failure. During surgery to remove the infected material, the surgeon broke an extractor tool off inside his leg and left it there. Now, he faces the terrifying possibility of amputation. Multiple surgeons have refused to operate further, fearing he could bleed out due to the unknown complications.

Mark had to have a PICC line inserted for IV antibiotics for six plus weeks to try to treat the infection. He has been on powerful antibiotics since and will likely remain on them for life or until the infection spreads to his bloodstream, leaving amputation as the only option. From August to March, he was unable to walk at all due to the surgery, as he was not able to apply any pressure, adding to his physical and emotional struggle.

After fighting for 26 years, he finally received his military benefits, but even that long-awaited victory has been met with heartbreak. He and his wife hired a contractor to make their home handicapped-accessible, but he scammed them and disappeared with their money. A second contractor began work, but fell seriously ill and could not finish the job. A third contractor had to be brought in to try and complete the project, but the work is still not completely done. On top of all that, they discovered their home’s windows were leaking and growing mold, which created serious health risks and had to be replaced immediately, adding even more financial pressure.

Now, they’re also facing a new concern: due to the stress and neurological complications, he has begun sleepwalking, which is extremely dangerous in his condition. For his safety, they urgently need to install a fence around their property, yet another unexpected expense.

After a lifetime of service, trauma, medical emergencies, and heartbreak, they are struggling just to keep up with basic bills and to make their home safe and accessible for his care.

This family has been through more than anyone should ever have to endure. They’ve fought every step of the way, but right now, they need help.

Please consider donating. Any amount truly makes a difference. If you can’t give, sharing this page means the world.

Thank you for showing compassion and support to a veteran and his wife who have sacrificed so much.