Help Adam Fight Guillain-Barre Syndrome
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Hello everyone! This is Matthew and Joseph - Joyce Conroy's sons. Although this is difficult to write, our family needs help fundraising money to cover bills for extensive medical treatment our step dad has received. In addition, we are also hoping to spread awareness of our story.
Our step father, Adam, left on a cruise in early December. When his symptoms began on the ship after four days out to sea, Adam thought it was your average cold or flu. He thought perhaps it was another episode of back pain that may have escalated into a a pinched nerve or a slipped disc until one day on the ship, he was unable to get out of bed. His weakness progressed to numbness and tingling, which then further progressed to paralysis of his body. Even with the help of my mother, Adam still did not have the strength to stand up.
After realizing the severity of the situation, the entire cruise line medical staff got involved and very quickly he had every tube imaginable running into his body. Once landing back in New York, he was transported immediately to the hospital to undergo further tests and treatments. The entire medical staff on the ship, with the assistance of Cleveland Clinic, suspected Adam had Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). This is a rare autoimmune disorder that occurs when the body's immune system essentially attacks itself (more specifically, the nerves of the body). Once they arrived in New York City, Adam was then transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. GBS was confirmed and treatment has been ongoing 24/7 since December 13th in hopes that this disease does not further compromise his entire body.
He has been at that hospital for over a month now. Since his stay at the hospital, he has:
- Been intubated.
- Received IVIG treatment for GBS.
- Been treated for pneumonia.
- Been treated for blood clots.
- Received a tracheostomy tube since he is unable to breathe on his own.
- Received an NG-tube for nutrition.
While going through all of these obstacles, he has managed to stay stable and not surrender his body to this horrible disease. Arrangements are in progress to transport Adam by air ambulance to a specialized care facility in Southwestern Michigan where he has extended family and can get the care he needs for the tracheotomy and to wean him off the ventilator to prepare him for long term rehabilitation which could take as much as a year or more. We are still unsure of what is to come in Adam's journey in fighting this horrible disease but all we can do is pray and give him the best medical attention possible.
We would love to have Adam recover with us in Las Vegas, however his insurance coverage area resides in Michigan. In addition, his mother's home is one story, while our house in Las Vegas does not have an accessible bedroom or bathroom for him. The doctors are anticipating at least a year of intensive rehabilitation.
Adam, and everyone in our family, are very hard working people. Adam travels around the world to support our country as a contracted electrician assisting in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, German, Norway and recently, South Korea. He is a proud member of the IBEW as a journeyman electrician and in the last few years worked on construction projects in Michigan, California, and Nevada. We have never been the one to financially ask for help but are in dire need of fundraising money to help pay for Adam's bills, as well as have the ability to financially support his future journey fighting this dreadful disease. Any amount of money is more than appreciated and, by all means, if you can't financially support Adam, please just take a moment out of your day to share this story any way possible. From the bottom of our hearts, my entire family wants thank you for taking the time out of your day to read our story.
Our step father, Adam, left on a cruise in early December. When his symptoms began on the ship after four days out to sea, Adam thought it was your average cold or flu. He thought perhaps it was another episode of back pain that may have escalated into a a pinched nerve or a slipped disc until one day on the ship, he was unable to get out of bed. His weakness progressed to numbness and tingling, which then further progressed to paralysis of his body. Even with the help of my mother, Adam still did not have the strength to stand up.
After realizing the severity of the situation, the entire cruise line medical staff got involved and very quickly he had every tube imaginable running into his body. Once landing back in New York, he was transported immediately to the hospital to undergo further tests and treatments. The entire medical staff on the ship, with the assistance of Cleveland Clinic, suspected Adam had Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). This is a rare autoimmune disorder that occurs when the body's immune system essentially attacks itself (more specifically, the nerves of the body). Once they arrived in New York City, Adam was then transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. GBS was confirmed and treatment has been ongoing 24/7 since December 13th in hopes that this disease does not further compromise his entire body.
He has been at that hospital for over a month now. Since his stay at the hospital, he has:
- Been intubated.
- Received IVIG treatment for GBS.
- Been treated for pneumonia.
- Been treated for blood clots.
- Received a tracheostomy tube since he is unable to breathe on his own.
- Received an NG-tube for nutrition.
While going through all of these obstacles, he has managed to stay stable and not surrender his body to this horrible disease. Arrangements are in progress to transport Adam by air ambulance to a specialized care facility in Southwestern Michigan where he has extended family and can get the care he needs for the tracheotomy and to wean him off the ventilator to prepare him for long term rehabilitation which could take as much as a year or more. We are still unsure of what is to come in Adam's journey in fighting this horrible disease but all we can do is pray and give him the best medical attention possible.
We would love to have Adam recover with us in Las Vegas, however his insurance coverage area resides in Michigan. In addition, his mother's home is one story, while our house in Las Vegas does not have an accessible bedroom or bathroom for him. The doctors are anticipating at least a year of intensive rehabilitation.
Adam, and everyone in our family, are very hard working people. Adam travels around the world to support our country as a contracted electrician assisting in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, German, Norway and recently, South Korea. He is a proud member of the IBEW as a journeyman electrician and in the last few years worked on construction projects in Michigan, California, and Nevada. We have never been the one to financially ask for help but are in dire need of fundraising money to help pay for Adam's bills, as well as have the ability to financially support his future journey fighting this dreadful disease. Any amount of money is more than appreciated and, by all means, if you can't financially support Adam, please just take a moment out of your day to share this story any way possible. From the bottom of our hearts, my entire family wants thank you for taking the time out of your day to read our story.
Organizer
Matthew and Joseph Cataldi
Organizer
Las Vegas, NV