Gina receive a potentially life-changing treatment

Hi, my name is Don Hargis, and our family is raising money for my sister, Gina Hargis.

Gina was diagnosed with scleroderma - an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and fibrosis (thickening) in the skin and other areas of the body, back on March 30, 2010, two days after her 38th birthday. She has also been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), fibromyalgia, and osteoporosis due to long term Prednisone use, which has also led to a decrease in bone strength and an increased risk of bone fractures. Gina currently takes 17 different medications for her condition which equates to 42 pills a day. Without her medications, my sister can not move and is constantly in a lot of pain. Gina has not been able to work since 2011 and is currently on 100% disability. Gina almost succumbed to COVID back in 2021, spending 24 days in the hospital with 15 of those on a ventilator, and then an additional 10 days in a rehabilitation center. We honestly thought we were going to lose her, but as my mom has told her, "Gina, there's a reason why God wanted you to live!" Her life and the hand that she has been dealt, unfortunately, have not been easy, but we've never given up hope for her and a better life!

That's why I'm asking for your help today. Gina has had tremendous support from her doctors, nurses, friends, and family, but it's not enough. Her treatments and medications here in the U.S. can only go so far, so we have decided to seek treatment for Gina at the Stem Cell Institute in Panama City, Panama. She has been accepted for treatment, and she and I plan on traveling to Panama in mid-March. Our hope is that the umbilical cord stem cells that she will receive during four days of treatment will at least help alleviate some of her symptoms and possibly cure her of at least one of her diseases. There are no guarantees with this treatment, and it may not help at all, but we have faith in God and faith based upon what other patients have experienced in Panama that this might allow Gina to return to a more normal, productive and pain-free life.

So here's why I'm asking for your help - our immediate family has already pledged $20,000 to help pay for her treatment and travel expenses, but we need an additional $15,000 to cover costs and expenses related to her treament and well being. All money raised will directly benefit Gina 100%, and no amount is too big or too small.

There's nothing more that Gina wants than to feel better, suffer less pain and fatigue, get off some if not all her meds, go back to work part-time, and eventually become self-sufficient. Can you help her out?

Thank you for your time, and God bless you and your family and my sister, Gina.